Lynx Thoughts

Another wonderful building by Diébédo Francis Kéré (whom I spoke about previously here), this time a clinic in Burkina Faso. What a bright and playful façade. What also a brilliant use of the small, operable windows to not only create that playfulness but, in true great design fashion, serve double duty to frame views for the patients within while providing controllable ventilation. Inside, courtyards are created to continue this movement of air and to give a gathering place for family members to congregate. A double skin structure provides thermal mass and protection from the harsh sun.

These are simple ideas and simple moves that root the building to its place and the culture, that works with the locals (who built it) and serves the locals, and that provide a place for services while uplifting those who spend time within its walls.