RIBA International Prize 2021

Nestled in amongst the riverine Bengal landscape, the largely "groundscape" hospital blends naturally into its rural setting paying homage to a village of Bengal hut typologies and serving a wide catchment area of the rural population.

At a fraction of the cost of providing a bed compared to European cities, this community hospital is working extremely efficiently and rationally to optimise space while being integrated sympathetically with the surrounding village.

The pavilion arrangement creates a sequence of intimate courtyards to bring in ample light and cross ventilation with a "canal" feature traversing the site to collect usable rainwater and help micro-climatic cooling while also separating outpatients from the main hospital areas. The judges were impressed by the pragmatic approach taken by the architect to find solutions to the pre-existing environmental issues, the need to collect rainwater for drinking, and to deal with potential flooding.

The Friendship Hospital Satkhira, designed by Kasef Chowdhury/URBANA, is built to serve a rural population in the Bangladesh delta. The community hospital of eighty beds was initiated by a donation of land by a local philanthropist.

In a changing context due to rising sea levels, the once surrounding landscape of grain fields has been replaced by shrimp fisheries. The architect makes this surrounding water play a key role in the building with the design of a rainwater-collecting canal landscaping creatively in between the multiple blocks masterplan to separate inpatient and outpatient departments.

The technology of the hospital is not emphasised but is hidden in the simplicity and the evidence of the design of its plan. The design of the project effectively transmits a sense of protection to the hospital users with shadow corridors around all the blocks and a series of courtyards providing natural ventilation everywhere and regulating the temperature efficiently.

The construction in bricks built in situ celebrates this ordinary material without having to resort to complex technology leading to increased budgets. Local materials by local craftmanship helps the integration of the building to the native culture and society.

The jury found it refreshing to see a hospital with such a human and natural touch. The Friendship Hospital has a particular relevancy at this period of time as it addresses the issue of unequal access to healthcare throughout the world.