Description

Dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS, GHESKIO – the world’s first institution dedicated solely to this mission – was forced to address another problem in Haiti: the sudden outbreak of cholera. Paradoxically, the disease was brought to the island by the UN peacekeepers who were stationed there after the devastating earthquake of 2010. The lack of a hygienic infrastructure and the very poor and overcrowded housing conditions – characterized by the lack of a decent sewage system and an effective garbage disposal service – provided an ideal setting for the spread of the disease, which soon left its traces in the entire city.

The Cholera Treatment Center fights the disease at two levels simultaneously: it offers medical assistance for those who suffer from it – in most cases, cholera can be cured – while at the same time introducing preventing measures that address some of the environmental issues that caused cholera to become epidemic. In particular, it incorporates an on-site wastewater treatment facility to thwart recontamination of the water table and subsequent spread of the disease, treating up to 950 m³ of wastewater annually.

The clinic’s cure facilities are accommodated in a building with a remarkably simple floor plan. There are 35 places for mild cases and 65 for severe cases. Medical professionals take care of them. The clinic derives its most striking features from the decision to design it as a small landmark building dedicated to the purification of water, polluted water being a major reason for the dissemination of cholera. The entire building is set 1 m above the ground, with a water basin underneath. The sculptured roof is not only a beautiful asset of the clinic, it also channels water toward a central collector, after which it is cleansed; part of it is used for the clinic itself, but the adjacent neighborhood also benefits.

The handcrafted metal shade system that is used for part of the outside wall has been calculated to enhance privacy, provide daylight and ensure ventilation. It was made by local metal workers who cut no less than 36,000 apertures in the screens. Also locally produced were the compressed, stabilized earth blocks that are the main building material. Finally, MASS collaborated with local craftsmen to produce furniture for the facility tailored to the needs of cholera patients.

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Originally published in: Cor Wagenaar, Noor Mens, Guru Manja, Colette Niemeijer, Tom Guthknecht, Hospitals: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2018.