MBALE REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL NEONATAL UNIT
I was part of a six-person team chosen from across the firm to design a neonatal unit that will be built in Mbale, Uganda. The neonatologist currently treats roughly thirty to fifty infants in a single 15-by-15-foot room. With usually only one nurse on staff, mothers have to be present in the room at all times, largely taking on the role of nurse. These dense conditions increase the risk of infection among infants. The lack of air conditioning and the overcrowding mean that the temperature in the room is often over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. On top of these problems, the hospital has no reliable sources of water and electricity.
Features of the new NICU design include rainwater harvesting, an energy system that is capable of functioning off-grid, and passive ventilation systems. From one centrally located team station, the limited staff will be able to visually monitor all infants, mothers, and other people entering and leaving the NICU.
Photo by Stephen Walker on Unsplash
Considering how a small number of staff would be able to more effectively monitor the mothers and infants, I studied precedents such as the Library of Congress, which have a central station. This allows for equal distances and good visibility to all parts of the room.
I proposed a floor plan featuring a team station situated at the junction of all four wings of the building. One wing contains spaces where patients will go through entry procedures, such as changing into a gown and washing hands. (In the current space, it is difficult to monitor who is entering and leaving the space, and whether or not people are following hygiene protocols). The other three wings contain the beds for mothers and infants. This proposal was chosen by the client.
My colleague and I traveled to Mbale, Uganda to study the future site of the neonatal unit. We conducted interviews, met with the district engineer, and installed a weather station since there was no weather data for the city. We did other research such as gathering light and sound data from the current neonatal by placing data loggers in the room.
PROJECT
Mbale Regional Referral Hospital Neonatal Unit
LOCATION
Mbale, Uganda
COMPANY
HKS Architects
CLIENT
Born on the Edge
PROJECT TIMELINE
2018 - present
TEAMMATES
Amie Akers
Adolfo Merchand Cravioto
Whitney Fuessel
Mili Kyropoulou
Saurabh Shrestha