Perkins+Will adds to its healthcare portfolio with the design of the new 465,560-sf Ghana Ridge Hospital. The Government of Ghana selected the design-build team of Perkins+Will and Americaribe to create a new state-of-the-art hospital that will support the growing needs of the fast developing African country.
This is the second women and children’s hospital in Africa to be designed by Perkins+Will, preceded by the Kenya Women and Children's Wellness Centre in Nairobi.
The hospital will deliver modern healthcare facilities to women and children and will become the largest hospital in the country to date. The building, accommodating 600 beds and more than 12 surgical theaters, will be home to numerous hospital services including public health, accident and emergency, imaging, obstetrics, gynecology, dental, surgical, intensive care, laboratory, respiratory therapy, and administration.
“The design was inspired by the unique relationship between nature and color, and the cultural significance of space and journey found in Kenya. This relationship is beautifully represented through the Kente cloth, an icon of African heritage and part of the local weaving culture in Ghana,” said Patricia Bosch, Design Director. “Like the Kente cloth, the design makes use of patterning, layering, spatial complexities, and juxtaposition in its design. I wanted to carefully weave daylight throughout the facility and consider local context, scale, and materiality. The building represents the complexity and richness of a culture and its environment, a relationship with light, public and private spaces, and a place for healing based on inspiration from the village, family, and ultimately the embrace of a mother and child.”
The thoughtful design of the project addresses the site’s unique characteristics, climate, and programmatic needs. The program is arranged for optimal workflow and the building is designed as a system of components that perform with minimal maintenance.
Passively cooled breezeways, stairways, and public corridors, as well as naturally ventilated waiting areas lower energy consumption and create a healthy healing environment for patients.
Sustainable design aspects include rainwater harvesting, water reuse, controlled daylight harvesting, solar water heating, and the use of light colored exterior materials that have been locally sourced. Public transportation is integrated with an entrance that is clearly defined and welcoming for patients and visitors.
“Americaribe is committed to bringing the best quality care and facilities to the Americas and Africa,” said Jean-Baptiste Baudin de la Valette President of Americaribe. “We are one of the largest builders in the world and value our partnerships with the best design firms. We have worked hard to achieve this pivotal project, partnering with Xing bank and HSBC to deliver healthcare in this region.”
“Perkins+Will is honored to provide the Government of Ghana with its healthcare expertise, gained from designing hospital facilities around the world,” noted Jim Bynum, Healthcare Practice Leader. “The impact that modern and efficient healthcare services have on communities is profound. This building will change lives and give people access to care that they did not have previously.”
Perkins+Will’s first project in Africa began in 1999, when the firm was commissioned to design Universidade Agostinho Neto in Luanda, Angola – an ambitious national university adapted for a country in transition. In addition to the Ghana Ridge Hospital, the firm is also currently working on the Kenya Women and Children's Wellness Centre in Nairobi, Kenya; Ubora Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya; and Capital Health Surgical Center in Abuja, Nigeria. With experience in Algeria, Burundi, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda, Perkins+Will has developed a sensitivity to the unique cultural and design aesthetics of the continent.
Related Stories
| Mar 21, 2011
RATIO Architects announces merger with Cherry Huffman Architects
RATIO Architects, Inc. with studios in Indianapolis and Champaign, Ill., recently announced it has merged with prominent Raleigh, N.C., firm Cherry Huffman Architects.
| Mar 18, 2011
Universities will compete to build a campus on New York City land
New York City announced that it had received 18 expressions of interest in establishing a research center from universities and corporations around the world. Struggling to compete with Silicon Valley, Boston, and other high-tech hubs, officials charged with developing the city’s economy have identified several city-owned sites that might serve as a home for the research center for applied science and engineering that they hope to establish.
| Mar 17, 2011
Perkins Eastman launches The Green House prototype design package
Design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman is pleased to join The Green House project and NCB Capital Impact in announcing the launch of The Green House Prototype Design Package. The Prototype will help providers develop small home senior living communities with greater efficiency and cost savings—all to the standards of care developed by The Green House project.
| Mar 17, 2011
Hospitality industry turns to HTS Texas for ‘do not disturb’ air conditioned comfort
Large resort hotels and hospitality properties throughout the Southwest have been working with local contractors, engineers and HTS Texas for the latest innovations in quiet heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The company has completed 12+ projects throughout Texas and the Southwestern U.S. over the past 18 to 24 months, and is currently working on six more hotel projects throughout the region.
| Mar 16, 2011
AIA offers assistance to Japan's Architects, U.S. agencies coordinating disaster relief
“Our hearts go out to the people of Japan as a result of this horrific earthquake and tsunami,” said Clark Manus, FAIA, 2011 President of the AIA. “We are in contact with our colleagues at AIA Japan and the Japan Institute of Architects to offer not only our condolences but our profession's technical and professional expertise when the initiative begins focusing on rebuilding."
| Mar 16, 2011
Are you working on a fantastic residence hall project? Want to tell us about it?
The feature story for the May 2011 issue of Building Design+Construction will focus on new trends in university residence hall design and construction, and we’re looking for great projects to report on and experts to interview. Projects can involve new construction or remodeling/reconstruction work, and can be recently completed, currently under construction, or still on the boards.
| Mar 16, 2011
Foster + Partners to design carbon-neutral urban park for West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong
Foster + Partners has been selected by the board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority to design a massive 56-acre urban park on a reclaimed harbor-front site in Hong Kong. Designed as a carbon-neutral development, “City Park” will seamlessly blend into existing streets while creating large expanses of green space and seventeen new cultural venues.
| Mar 15, 2011
What Starbucks taught us about redesigning college campuses
Equating education with a cup of coffee might seem like a stretch, but your choice of college, much like your choice of coffee, says something about the ability of a brand to transform your day. When Perkins + Will was offered the chance to help re-think the learning spaces of Miami Dade College, we started by thinking about how our choice of morning coffee has changed over the years, and how we could apply those lessons to education.
| Mar 15, 2011
What will the architecture profession look like in 2025?
The global economy and the economic recession have greatly affected architecture firms' business practices. A Building Futures survey from the Royal Institute of British Architects looks at how these factors will have transformed the profession and offers a glimpse of future trends. Among the survey's suggestions: not only will architecture firms have to focus on a financial and business approach rather than predominantly design-led offices, but also company names are predicted to drop ‘architect’ altogether.
| Mar 15, 2011
Passive Strategies for Building Healthy Schools, An AIA/CES Discovery Course
With the downturn in the economy and the crash in residential property values, school districts across the country that depend primarily on property tax revenue are struggling to make ends meet, while fulfilling the demand for classrooms and other facilities.