GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

GHESKIO TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL

Mass Design Group

CLIENTS
Les Centres Gheskio

MEP ENGINEER
Berelec

MANUFACTURERS
Basf, Atlantic Door &, Big Ass Solutions, Ecem, Franck Vendryes, Pierre Coupaud

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Gbs Group, Raphael Izmery

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANTS
Jardins & Accessoires

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Cbi Consulting

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Chantiers D’haiti

CIVIL ENGINEER
Fall Creek Engineering

ARCHITECT OF RECORD
Mass Design Group

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Mass Design Group

PARTNERS
Les Centres Gheskio, Shelley And Donald Rubin Foundation

FLOOR FINISHING
Freddy Elie

PHOTOGRAPHS
Iwan Baan

AREA
1400 m²

YEAR
2015

LOCATION
Port Au Prince, Haiti

CATEGORY
Hospital

Text description provided by architect.

Haiti has the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the Western Hemisphere.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease that requires treatment of up to twenty-four months.

In the first two to six months of treatment, patients need to be hospitalized in isolation to prevent the spread of the disease.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

This extended seclusion, paired with severe side effects from treatment medication, can have significant impacts on patients’ mental health.

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the risk of Tuberculosis transmission increased because large numbers of people were forced into living in crowded temporary housing camps.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

By some estimates, tuberculosis became three times more likely as compared to pre-2010 levels. And because much of the country’s healthcare infrastructure was badly damaged, many patients either lost access to treatment, or were cared for in tents.

Despite these odds, Les Centres GHESKIO, a Haitian healthcare research, treatment, and training organization , had incredible success supporting patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

Of their first 110 patients after the earthquake, 86 percent were cured or still receiving treatment—a number comparable to the most effective treatment programs around the world.

Dr. Jean William Pape, executive director and co-founder of GHESKIO, asked MASS to support the organization to design and build a new tuberculosis ward, replacing their previous facility after it had been destroyed in the earthquake.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

The design of the new tuberculosis hospital focused on minimizing the risk of transmission, while creating a more comfortable and supportive space to receive care.

The hospital’s central feature is its interior courtyard and adjoining community spaces, where patients spend much of their stay.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital

Flower and tree beds bring color, shade, and seating to the space. Bamboo screens covered in bougainvillea vines create visual privacy for the outdoor consultation spaces adjacent to patient rooms, allowing for conversations between patients and medical staff in the open air where transmission risk is lower.

Strategies of passive ventilation and infection control help reduce in-hospital transmission of TB in this high-risk population, while lessening energy costs for the facility.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

The hospital controls airborne infection through permeable soffits and metal louvres that pull fresh air throughout the units.

All corridors and consultation areas are outside to promote open-air circulation and reduce the risk of patient-staff contagion.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan

Cleaning staff can access the restrooms using a separate door from the outside to avoid entering the patient’s room and risking infection.

The hospital accommodates 32 patient isolation suites, exam and x-ray rooms, offices, nurse stations, and two pharmacies, setting a new standard for TB care in Haiti.

GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
© Iwan Baan


GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
Section
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
Section with ventilation


GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
Ventilation 01
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
Ventilation 02
GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital
Site plan