Leading East African planning, urban design, architecture and engineering team FBW Group has completed the masterplan of the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) campus expansion in Rwanda.
And as these images reveal, the impressive new development will deliver state-of-the-art facilities for students as the university builds on its work producing much-needed, high-quality health professionals.
The masterplan, led by FBW’s Rwandan team based in the capital Kigali, will deliver new state-of-the-art environmentally responsive university buildings on the 40-hectare second phase of the UGHE campus in the Burera district.
These will include new faculty offices and a library with outdoor art galleries. All have been sensitively designed within the existing campus’ rolling hillside setting.
University of Global Health Equity recreational facilities
Recreational facilities, including sports grounds, and spaces for convention and events are also part of the overall planned development.
Aiming to cater for more than 400 students by 2025, the medical and public health school, which is embedded in a Global Health Equity care system, represents a major investment in the country’s next generation of healthcare professionals.
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Several new graduate and post graduate programmes will provide specialised training for medical experts to lead the response to the ever-challenging national and global public health care demands of the 21st century.
The masterplan includes several public open spaces, designed to foster a feeling of equity and community, as well as quiet areas where students can meet, study, and share ideas.
The overall plan, which includes the design of more than 17 new campus buildings, was successfully completed by FBW Group amid all the restrictions and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first phase of the 250-acre Butaro campus, located 80 miles north of Kigali, was opened by the Partners In Health organisation in 2019.
FBW Group’s Rwandan office is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Paul Semanda is FBW’s Rwanda Country Director. He said: “Butaro is a stunning part of Rwanda. We’ve based our design ideas around the university’s fantastic setting, on top of a hill surrounded by green rolling hills and overlooking the beautiful lake of Burera.
“That dramatic local landscape was a major influence in our thinking, alongside Rwanda’s heritage and history.
“Buildings have been designed to take full advantage of the stunning prospects, through carefully controlled pedestrianised streets and squares.”
He added: “Sustainability was another large consideration, with natural lighting and ventilation harnessed wherever possible, as well as the use of solar heating and lighting technologies.
“It has been an exciting programme to be involved in. Everyone has worked very hard and diligently to deliver such a major project under the challenging Covid-19 restrictions we have faced.
“It has been a ‘labour of love’ and we are all proud of the work delivered to support the education of Rwanda’s public health professionals, as we play our role in delivering the key objectives of the Vision 2050 for the country.”
FBW, a leading multidisciplinary design practice, has played a leading role in East Africa’s construction and development sectors for the last 25 years and has diverse, highly skilled multi-cultural teams operating in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, as well as a base in Manchester in the UK and Utrecht in the Netherlands.
FBW’s Rwandan office has continued to grow over the past decade as it has played its part in the country’s economic development.
The group, which has recruited some of the top talent in architecture, design, and engineering in East Africa as part of its plans for growth, offers a wide range of in-house professional building and technical services.
