Overview

Description: In 2015 APS were commissioned to design a new Paediatric Opthalmic (Eye) Clinic at United Bulawayo Hospitals, Richard Morris Building, in Bulawayo. Our clients were the donors Christian Blind Mission (CBM), in association with local charity Zimbabwe Council for the Blind (ZCB), who would ultimately manage the facility, under the custodianship of UBH and the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing (MLGPWNH).

Challenge: In consultation with the client team, our challenge was to design a low cost, low maintenance facility that would cater to the medical needs of the visually impaired patients, whilst welcoming them to a facility which is both user friendly and inviting to young children, many of whom have never been to a large urban city let alone an intimidating medical institution. In addition to the normal consultation suites and operating facilities, we were asked to provide additional accommodation facilities for the rural parents and care givers.

Solution: The concept behind this clinic, was to provide a courtyard type building with three distinct zones: The operations department, the public administration/consultation department, and the guest accommodation. We had to understand and facilitate the conceptual movement flows between staff and patients as well as required sterile and non-sterile zones. We clustered all functional public areas around open courtyards, which not only allow for natural ventilation and light throughout the facility, but also allowed for overflow areas for waiting patients and their families. In order to facilitate way finding, for partially sighted occupants and young children, we used tone, colour and texture to differentiate between departments, highlight perimeter edges, and commissioned large print signage for easy legibility. Face brick is used throughout, as a durable and maintenance free building surface, and the operations department is furnished with anti-static, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral fittings and fixtures such as vinyl flooring, paintwork, and ceiling tiles, whilst HEPA air conditioning maintain constant temperature regulation, whilst filtering the air supply of any unwanted contaminants.