The GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital - to break ground in June 2011 – demonstrates our focus on embedding social, economic and environmental value within local communities through a holistic approach to development. Our intent is twofold: to set a standard for healthcare design in Haiti, and ensure the project’s long-term sustainability. Replacing a facility destroyed in the earthquake, the new hospital will accommodate 32 patient isolation suites, exam and x-ray rooms, offices, nurse stations and two pharmacies. Reducing the risk of airborne disease transmission was also a primary driver. By coiling a narrow, two-story structure around a series of courtyards, our scheme maximizes natural ventilation while accommodating the hospital’s complex programmatic needs. Open lobbies on both floors extend views across the site, while operable window openings and screens capture prevailing breezes to diffuse and exhaust contaminated air.

The hospital features renewable technologies for energy and water provision. Simple but effective systems for solar electrical generation, rainwater catchment and filtration, and ecological wastewater treatment, will maximize the use of available resources, decrease operating costs, increase sustainability, and offset long-term environmental impacts. Such mechanisms are an appropriate and necessary alternative to high-tech solutions in limited-resource settings such as Haiti.