Surgical Clinic and Health Center

The clinic, with operating rooms, an inpatient ward and a maternity unit, serves more than 50,000 people in a rural region. It was designed by a practice based in Germany whose founder comes from this country.

It is built as a modular system of compressed earth bricks, so the buildings can be made by local workers and extended over time. The units are grouped around an outdoor public space where patients and families wait in the shade.

Windows are set at different heights and sizes across the walls. The playful pattern frames views for people lying, sitting or standing, and is meant to make the clinic feel welcoming to patients who might otherwise be too afraid to seek care.