The Friendship Hospital in Satkhira, a cyclone-prone district in the country's south, was announced winner of 2021's prestigious RIBA International Prize according to CNN, with its architects praised for putting "care and humanity at the heart of its design."
Constructed from locally-made bricks, the 80-bed hospital was built around a series of courtyards lined with tranquil, shaded walkways. An angular canal cuts through the center of the site to separate inpatient and outpatient wings.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), which organizes the award, commended the hospital's design for blending in with the surrounding countryside and creating an "uplifting and inviting experience for visitors, patients and healthcare professionals."
Designed by architect Kashef Chowdhury and his Dhaka-based firm, Urbana, the hospital was commissioned by sustainable development NGO, Friendship. Chowdhury described the jury's decision to honor a project from the "global periphery" as a "sublimely important moment."
