Shyamnagar, Bangladesh
“It is indeed a great moment when a recognition as important as this helps to bring attention to a remote corner of our incredibly connected but unknowing world, to a project born out of scarce resources, for the care of people and community destined to live in the fragile environment of a climate in flux,” states Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury.
Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury has designed the new 80-bed community Friendship Hospital in Bangladesh situated in a largely rural area of southwest Bangladesh heavily affected by a major cyclone a few years ago to provide much-needed healthcare for the local population.
Blending into the surrounding water-laden landscape, the low-cost building is designed to work with and withstand the threat of rising water levels due to climate breakdown.
The hospital is arranged around a series of intimate courtyards, which bring in light and natural ventilation.
A canal of water cuts through the length of the site, separating the inpatients and outpatients while collecting rainwater stored in tanks—a valuable resource in an area where the saline groundwater is unusable for most practical purposes.
This outdoor space creates intimate areas for patients and visitors to sit and rest with viewpoints of the local countryside.
Crafted in local brick chosen for its resilient qualities and low cost, openings in the brickwork offer private shaded areas and provide natural cooling for the wards essential for this hot climate.
Project: Friendship Hospital in Bangladesh
Architects: Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA
Client: Friendship NGO
Photographers: Asif Salman
