Kachumbala Maternity Unit: Welcoming Life Through Passive Design, Kachumbala, Uganda
Located in an impoverished rural region of eastern Uganda, the Kachumbala Maternity Unit replaces a crumbling 1950s-era facility that could no longer safely serve its community. Designed by HKS in partnership with Engineers for Overseas Development, this passively cooled, off-grid facility was built entirely by hand using locally pressed soil blocks. By merging sustainable design with essential healthcare, the new unit provides a welcoming, hygienic sanctuary that has successfully eliminated maternal and infant mortality at the facility since its opening.
Architecture for Safe Beginnings
Before this project, the outdated two-room maternity ward could not accommodate nearly half of the women who traveled long distances to give birth. Faced with overcrowding, many women chose to stay home and give birth without medical assistance, drastically increasing the risk of infant and maternal deaths due to infection or complications.
Designers were challenged to create a modern, high-capacity maternity unit on a micro-budget in a location where the power supply is unreliable and natural resources are scarce. The resulting building houses two delivery suites, a seven-bed postnatal ward, an isolation room, and a family gathering area, comfortably accommodating a minimum of six births per day with room for future expansion.
Tectonics: Hand-Pressed Earth and Terracotta
Because the site lacked reliable electricity for heavy power tools, the architecture relies heavily on human craftsmanship and hyper-local materials, with 95 percent of the building materials produced locally. Interlocking Soil-Stabilized Blocks (ISSB): The predominant building material is ISSB. These blocks were handmade directly on the construction site using a manual brick press to mix local murrum (laterite soil) with a small amount of cement. This radically reduced construction costs while providing massive thermal walls to keep the interior cool. Terracotta Screens and Shading: To combat the intense equatorial heat without air conditioning, the building features a mono-pitch roof and exterior corridors shielded by beautiful, porous terracotta screens. Combined with strategically placed operable windows and "dog runs," these features ensure continuous natural cross-ventilation and deep shading throughout the day.
The Living Building: Off-Grid and Life-Saving
A healthcare facility must remain operational at all hours, even in a region with failing infrastructure. Solar and Rainwater Autonomy: The unit operates completely off the grid. It utilizes a solar-powered 12v system to provide reliable lighting for night deliveries and essential refrigeration for drug storage. A dedicated rainwater catchment and filtration system ensures the clinic always has access to clean water for sanitation. A Measurable Impact: The architectural intervention yielded immediate, life-changing results. Built with a locally-sourced workforce of about 40 people, the project stimulated the local economy. More importantly, since opening in November 2017, the facility has seen a significant increase in admissions and deliveries, with absolutely zero infant or maternal deaths recorded.
Data Sheet
Project: Kachumbala Maternity Unit
Location: Kachumbala, Uganda
Architect: HKS (Citizen HKS) / Engineers for Overseas Development
Completion Year: 2017
Area: 274 m² (2,960 sq ft)
Key Materials: Interlocking Soil-Stabilized Blocks (ISSB), Terracotta Screens
Typology: Healthcare / Maternity Ward
Impact: Zero maternal/infant deaths since opening; 100% off-grid power and water
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