This medical clinic in the centre of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, has been designed by AW² on the basis of modular architecture. Three low-rise building typologies have been created and positioned within the site around a central courtyard. This green heart connects the various clinics through the patio circulation spaces, providing users with views onto the garden and a natural ventilation system. The architecture is evolutive and, in the years to come, additional buildings can be inserted into the site and connected seamlessly to the current design utilizing the established building typologies.

Drawing on simple and efficient construction methods, the buildings are made of a concrete structure whilst the facades are clad in terracotta, a local material that reduces solar gain and allows the clinic to blend into the surroundings. The façade and roof structures contain “double skin” technology to protect the interiors from high summer temperatures and draw on natural cooling methods to limit the use of air conditioning.Adapted to the human scale, AW² has designed a clinic that does not resemble a medical centre. Quite the opposite: Clinique Ouagadougou is a hymn to its locality and proof that form and function can be combined together in a thoughtful and thought-provoking design.