Size

Site: 1.2 ha / 3 acres
Built: 68,900 sq. ft. / 6,400 sq. m.

Year

2021

Status

Completed

Client

University of Rwanda

Partners

African Development Bank University of Rwanda Partner Architect: Uwizeyimana Straton, Principal of Archus & Associates

Portrait of Christian Benimana, RA
Christian Benimana, RA
Senior Principal & Managing Director
Christian Benimana

Christian Benimana, RA

Senior Principal & Managing Director — Kigali

Christian Benimana joined MASS Design Group as a Global Health Corps Design Fellow in 2010. Today, Christian works as one of the firm's Senior Principals and Managing Directors, and is Director of the African Design Centre, a field-based apprenticeship that is set to empower leaders who will design a more equitable, just, and sustainable world. At MASS, he has been involved with design/build projects, development initiatives, operational and administration leadership. Christian has been listed among 10 architects and designers that are championing Afrofuturism and 2017 Quartz Africa Innovators. He has authored articles and book chapters including Re-Thinking the Future of African Cities in The African Perspective Magazine and Creating Design Leaders: The African Design Centre in Public Interest Design Education Guidebook.

Christian has taught at the Architecture School of the former Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and his goal is to develop the next generation of African designers with socially-focused design principles. Before joining MASS, he worked with LongiLat Architecture and Research in Shanghai assisting with the Porsche Center in Shanghai and the Netherlands Pavilion in the 2010 International Expo. Christian holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) of Tongji University in Shanghai, China (2008), and has served as the Secretary General of the East Africa Institute of Architects.

Portrait of Jean Paul Sebuhayi Uwase
Jean Paul Sebuhayi Uwase
Principal
Jean Paul Sebauhayi Uwase

Jean Paul Sebuhayi Uwase

Principal — Kigali

"I am a believer that everyone deserves beautiful Architecture, and it is my duty as an Architect to best serve the community."

Jean Paul Sebuhayi joined MASS in 2013 and currently serves as a Principal in the Kigali office. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology and is a registered architect with the Rwanda Institute of Architects. Having been educated in the first class of architects in Rwanda where the numbers are still quite small, he believes that everyone deserves to experience beautiful design. Thus, he strives to best serve the community through consultation and engagement early in the design process.

At MASS, Jean Paul has led multidisciplinary teams to create sustainable designs for the Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth, the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture in Rwanda, and Samajik Health Science Institute & Research Centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has also supported design teams as an Architect for various other projects such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Masaka Affordable Housing, Butaro Doctors’ Sharehousing, and the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence. Currently, Jean Paul is also supporting the team to carry out construction administration of the Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth and Munini District Hospital, the first implementation of National design standards designed by MASS for Rwanda’s Ministry of Health in 2014.

Design Team

Anton Larsen, Alex Dallas, Megan Suau, Harriet Kirk, Sherryen Mutoka, Divine Mutsinzi, Carley Chastain, Tshepo Mokholo, Kristen Henderson, Chris Scovel, Deanna Brown, Nicki Reckziegel, Claire O'Reilly, Jean Paul Sebuhayi, Harriet Kirk, Rosie Goldrick, Harriet Kirk

Collaborators

Transsolar (Environmental Engineering)
Multi-Konsult (MEP Engineering)
AKT II (Structural Engineering)
Eng.Edward N.Mwangi, P.E (Structural Engineering)
EDYS Consultants(R) Ltd (Quantity Surveyor)

The University of Rwanda commissioned MASS to design a center of excellence in biomedical engineering, rehabilitation, and e-health to provide a hub for introducing leading clinicians and technicians to Rwanda’s healthcare sector. The center aims to be a model for biomedical innovation and engineering throughout Africa.

The Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth is financed through the African Development Bank and various East Africa member states. The objective of the project is to contribute to the development of a relevant and highly-skilled, competitive workforce in biomedical sciences and e-health to meet East Africa’s immediate labor market needs. The project seeks to boost the East African regional integration strategy in science and technology, service delivery, and expansion of labor markets.

The seven-story building’s innovative and unique facade draws upon the local craft tradition of imigongo for its pattern. The building’s energy plans and programming incorporate passive principles, including daylighting as well as natural ventilation for airflow and temperature control. These systems are married with program and collaboration needs, resulting in a space that sparks innovation and connectivity between all users.