Dormitory for Partners In Health – Description from Sharon Davis Design.
Working in partnership with Rwandan Village Enterprises (RVE) for Partners in Health and the Rwandan Ministry of Health, we created the first comprehensive urban planning document for rural Rwinkwavu, based on the needs and aspirations of local villagers. The first built phase of this project is the Share Houses, offering 6,9000 square feet of housing for hospital staff.
The design responds both to its site on a hot, dry hillside and to the tight budget required by the client. 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 it residents and also 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 employed to make all the handmade bricks for wall construction. A ventilated roof cavity is clad with clay tiles for thermal and acoustic performance. In order to help support the local economy, approximately 90% of the labor was local to the poor and rural village of Rwinkwavu, and women represented a minimum of one third of the staff throughout construction.
All furniture designed by: Sharon Davis Design
All lighting fixtures designed by: Sharon Davis Design
