In Rwanda, American architecture practice Sharon Davis Design extends their creative prowess from their award winning Women’s opportunity center. These Share Houses are intended to offer a little of 640 sqm of temporary housing to medical professionals from the Rwandan Ministry of Health and Partners in Health, (a global nonprofit health organisation), both of whom do contract work at the Rwinkwavu Hospital.
Sharon Davis Design conceived and executed the project in partnership with Rwanda Village Enterprise. Heres their description,
The design elevates the dormitory experience for individual residents through additional means. The facility is divided into a pair of single-story bar volumes. In each, eight bedrooms are arranged around a multi-tiered common space to promote community among various healthcare staff. Bedrooms open to private exterior spaces that boast western views to the Vallée Kibaya. Balconies and other exterior circulation spaces are shaded for comfort in the hot, dry climate. And woven eucalyptus screens provide privacy, while also referencing thatching materials of traditional Rwandan construction.
Share Houses’ reliance on regional building materials, such as eucalyptus collected from the area, represents a parallel design response to the clients’ tight budget. Key sources include bricks handmade by a nearby women’s cooperative, locally quarried stone, and the clay tiles that form the project’s ventilated roof cavity. Rwinkwavu residents performed approximately 90 percent of labor, and women represented at least one-third of hires throughout construction.
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