With the aim to improve life for the village of Laongo in West Africa, Francis Kéré is building a hospital to provide residents with basic and medium healthcare.
Kéré is in the process of constructing an infirmary in the 14-hectare Opera Village of Laongo in Burkina Faso. The small hospital – known as the Centre de Santé et de Promotion Social or CSPS, which translates as “Centre for Health and Social Advancement” – will provide patients with basic care, as well as overnight care.
The CSPS is divided into four parts: dentistry, gynaecology, obstetrics and a general healthcare unit. These parts are strategically arranged around a waiting room to provide a pleasant environment for the community, visitors, patients and families. For peaceful and relaxing areas, Kéré has enclosed the infirmary with several courtyards and shaded seating. Along with these four sections, the small hospital has a reception room, pharmacy, operating theatre with a ward for eight patients, an examination room and a general ward for nine patients.
The structural design of the infirmary draws inspiration from the magnificent views of the Savanna desert and uses the outline of two hills for the roof’s design. The windows create the illusion of a picture frame and allows patients to look out over the natural beauty of their land.
In building the CSPS, Kéré’s main priority was to use local materials such as clay and laterite stone, enabling the design to be sustainable and conform to existing structures in the village.
The Centre de Santé et de Promotion Social is due to open in mid-2013.
