Exemplo_Bayalpata Hospital_Achham_Nepal

© Photos: Sharon Davis Studio

Bayalpata Hospital, Achham, Nepal

Sharon Davis Design

'The Nepalese government, NGO Possible Health and New York City-based studio Sharon Davis Design collaborated to renew a healthcare centre in rural Achham, Nepal, where, as a spokesperson for the design practice explains, ‘the doctor-patient ratio is, on average, 150 times more extreme than recommended by the World Health Organization’. 

Spanning 7.5 acres, the medical campus – which has been transformed from an overrun clinic – now has the capability to service over 100,000 patients a year from Achham and six surrounding districts. 

Bayalpata Hospital’s five buildings host all necessary facilities, and include an administrative block that houses the institution’s staff and their families.'

© Photos: Sharon Davis Studio

'Rammed earth was chosen for building due to its low cost and local availability. ‘Soil from the site was mixed with 6 % cement content to stabilize the earth for better durability and seismic resistance. Reusable, plastic lock-in-place formwork facilitated faster construction and the employment of unskilled local labour, while local stone was used for foundations, pathways and retaining walls.’ Davis says that her team sees this ‘project as a model of how rammed earth – and other vernacular materials – can be utilized to create modern architecture. Without local materials, this project may not have been possible because of its incredibly remote location – a 10-hour drive from the nearest regional airport and a three-day drive on narrow, mountainous roads from the nearest manufacturing centres around Kathmandu.’

Sharon Davis Design introduced rammed earth as a locally available material and low-tech construction method that minimized the cost-prohibitive transportation of building materials in this mountainous region. Built-in furniture, exterior doors, and louvers were fabricated from local Sal wood.

A grid-connected, 100kW photovoltaic array, installed across all south-facing roofs, generates more energy on site than the campus requires. Passive heating and cooling are also essential to the design—only the operating theatre within the surgery building is mechanically conditioned. Insulated roofs, an uncommon feature in the region, along with massive rammed earth walls, retain daytime heat gain in the winter, and in summer keep interiors cool. Breezeways, clerestory ventilation, and ceiling fans increase airflow to further mitigate summer heat. The campus includes new water supply and storage, wastewater treatment facilities, and a network of landscaped terraces and bio-swales that manage monsoon-driven erosion.

The architecture maintains a vernacular scale through setbacks and gabled roofs. Tall windows frame dramatic views and clerestory glazing provides natural daylighting throughout all clinical areas, to reduce the need for artificial lighting. Landscaped courtyards offer a sheltered environment for designated patient seating and informal family waiting areas, and all rooms provide patients with access to outdoor gardens or balconies.'

© Photos: Elizabeth Felicella

For more information on the project check here.