INTERNATIONAL: Chicago-Based Perkins+Will to Design Largest Hospital in Ghana

By Ioana Neamt, Associate Editor

Award-winning design firm Perkins+Will recently announced it will handle the design of the largest hospital in the Republic of Ghana. The 465,000-square-foot building is the company’s second hospital in Africa, along with the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre in Nairobi. Perkins+Will is partnering with Americaribe to develop a state-of-the-art hospital to provide various types of healthcare services to its patients, including imaging, obstetrics, dental, surgical, gynecology, respiratory therapy, emergency and intensive care.

According to a news release, the Ghana Ridge Hospital will be able to accommodate 600 patients and feature more than 12 surgical theaters, and will be the largest hospital in the country to date.

“Perkins+Will is honored to provide the government of Ghana with its healthcare expertise, gained from designing hospital facilities around the world,” said Jim Bynum, healthcare practice leader. “The impact that modern and efficient healthcare services have on communities is profound. This building will change lives and give people access to care that they did not have previously.”

The hospital’s famed team of designers will strive to address the property’s climate needs and unique characteristics, and to create a building that requires minimal maintenance. The Ghana Ridge Hospital will feature cooled stairways and corridors, naturally ventilated waiting areas, rainwater harvesting, water reuse, controlled daylight harvesting, solar water heating and locally sourced light-colored exterior materials. The various sustainable design elements are intended to lower energy consumption and create a healthy and healing environment for the hospital’s patients.

Perkins+Will is also currently working on the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre and the Ubora Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Capital Health Surgical Center in Abuja, Nigeria.

Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will