Following the unveiling of its shortlisted entries last November, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the winner of its prestigious international award. A rural hospital in Bangladesh has been named the best new build in the world for its excellent design and tremendous contribution to the local community.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Prize is awarded every two years to a building that ’embodies exemplary design and architectural ambition and makes a significant social impact’. Each preselected building was inspected by international experts.
RIBA Chairman Simon Allford said: “The Friendship Hospital is an example of the thoughtful and creative design of a building of great importance and scale, built on a modest budget and with the community, the local community, and their natural environment in mind environment was designed.”
The building was selected from 16 finalists and a shortlist of three Other contenders for the coveted award included the National Peace and Justice Memorial, a “powerful and very important” monument in Montgomery, Alabama; and the elegant Lille Langebro Bridge in Copenhagen. Hooba Design Group has been named Riba International Emerging Architect 2021 for the Kohan Ceram Central Office Building in Iran – an award that “honors the design innovators of tomorrow”.
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The ‘Friendship Hospital’ in Bangladesh is designed by kashef chowdhury/URBANA. The hospital, commissioned by the NGO Friendship, provides vital care to rural communities in Satkhira in southern Bangladesh, a coastal area directly affected medical facility affected by sea-level rise.
Completed in 2018, the 80-bed community hospital provides basic health services to local communities in Satkhira and provides “a medical lifeline for thousands of people in a coastal area hard-hit by a major cyclone in 2007,” according to Riba. He says the “low-cost building ” was designed to withstand the rising sea waters in the area where cornfields have been replaced by shrimp fishing. It cost £1.5million to build and was made from local materials using local craftsmanship, which “helps the building into indigenous culture and society.” The jury “found it refreshing to see a hospital with such a human and natural touch”
Once surrounded by cornfields, the hospital grounds are now flanked by a flooded landscape where shrimp are fished. The water also cuts through the length of the complex in the form of a zigzag channel separating inpatients and outpatients. This water channel diverts rainwater to a newly constructed reservoir to prevent waterlogging while providing cooling during hot summers, reducing the need for air conditioning.
URBANA architect Kashef Chowdhury designed a low-rise architecture composed of a series of brick buildings and courtyards that provide natural light and ventilation, providing peaceful resting spaces for patients and visitors. Local brick was chosen for its strength and low cost, with openings in the brickwork providing private shaded areas and natural cooling.
Inspired by traditional cottage villages across the country, the overall shape of the brick hospital features a canal running through the grounds, physically separating the inpatient and outpatient departments and helping to cool the immediate area during hot summers. Because much of the surrounding water is saline, rainwater is collected and stored for use.
This focus on simple, energy-saving solutions to the challenges of climate and local conditions continues inside. The hospital buildings are very open, and several carefully placed courtyards and corridors encourage shading and ventilation when needed (some areas are closed for privacy) and provide comfortable spaces for patients to rest.
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References-
1. https://newatlas.com/architecture/friendship-hospital-riba-international-prize/
2. https://www.designboom.com/architecture/riba-friendship-hospital-bangladesh-worlds-best-new-building-01-25-2022/
3. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-10442977/Hospital-Bangladesh-named-worlds-best-new-building-prestigious-RIBA-2021-architecture-awards.html
4. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/riba-international-award-bangladesh-hospital/index.html
Credits-
All Images by asif salman courtesy of URBANA