CLIENT

Established in 2012, Penda Health is a chain of outpatient medical centres in Nairobi, Kenya which offer high-quality healthcare services that patients can trust.

PROJECT

With multiple clinics located on the ground and first floors of existing buildings in semi-formal neighbourhoods of Nairobi, BuildX studio works alongside Penda Health on a growing portfolio of clinics to adapt these often-challenging structures into vibrant, accessible and dignified health clinics.

Focused on addressing the lack of sufficient health services within hard-to-reach townships that are more susceptible to health issues, the project aims to provide accessibility of medical clinics within these areas.

IMPACT

In 2013, Dr Tony Moll, a medical doctor at the Church of Scotland Hospital in Tegula Ferry, South Africa, reported an outbreak of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). In identifying the cause, he said “the hospital wasn’t designed for airborne infection control”.

The hospital in question was poorly designed even by the most basic of standards. Wards with little natural light and poor ventilation, cramped corridors with waiting patients, and no proper waste disposal systems. In circumstances such as this, renowned global health expert, Dr Paul Farmer, claimed that it was the building itself that killed people.

If it’s accepted that poor design can damage health, then it’s logical to believe that good design can do the opposite and heal people.

In all the Penda Clinics we design we strive to provide an adequate level of airflow and natural light to all the spaces despite the spatial constraints of the existing buildings.