Partners In Health/Ministry of Health Dormitory Housing project consists of two buildings and the the project is immediately adjacent to the local 110-bed Rwinkwavu Hospital.  The interior space of each building has approximately 200 m² and they each house eight doctors or nurses for a total of 16 people.

Each bedroom has its own private exterior space facing the views of the valley to the west with large overhangs for rain and heat protection.  The bedrooms are connected to the shared bathrooms and common spaces with a covered and screened exterior walkway.  The eucalyptus screen wraps around the uphill side of the house providing a sense of enclosure and privacy for its residents and a connection to more traditional ways of building.

All the construction materials were sourced from within Rwanda, with most coming from the neighboring areas.  Local stone was quarried for all foundations and walkways.  A neighborhood women’s cooperative was contracted to manufacture all the handmade bricks for wall construction.  A ventilated roof cavity is clad with clay tiles for thermal and acoustic performance.  To help support the local economy, approximately 90% of the labor was local to the rural village of Rwinkwavu, and women represented a minimum of one third of the staff throughout construction.  The project was under construction for approximately 18 months.

Client:               Partners In Health

Location:           Rwinkwavu, Rwanda

Completion:      July 2015

Project Size:      402 m²

Category:         Residential – Multi Unit Housing

Project Cost:      $280,000

Architect:          Sharon Davis Design

Awards:            2016 Architizer A+ Popular Choice Winner Concepts Architecture and Low Cost Housing;

                        2016 Architizer A+ Jury Winner Concepts Architecture and Low Cost Housing