JFK 2008 – finalist

archiweb: The jury had only a few minutes to assess each project; they only saw one sheet and could only judge its final form. However, we are interested in the journey and development of the project throughout the semester. Can you reflect and summarize the path of how the assignment was refined, the design was polished, and the consultations flourished?

Štěpán Braťka: I wanted to try designing something for a completely unfamiliar environment and participate in an international architectural competition. My own design was preceded by a long search, gathering, and analyzing information about Rwanda. After that, I had a fairly clear idea of how I wanted the clinic to look, so it remained to solve the division of the building into two phases, address the typology, and layout for the specific conditions.

archiweb: The accompanying report for most projects is created the last night before submission, which corresponds to the stylistic level. The unimportance of the written word goes hand in hand with the public secret that "architects do not read and only look." Could you still describe your winning project in a few brief sentences?

Štěpán Braťka: The children's clinic is hidden just behind a bamboo fence and consists of several smaller objects. Between the individual volumes, there are embedded concrete cylindrical tanks for rainwater, creating an intimate internal environment for the clinic. In Rwanda, there are two rainy seasons and two dry seasons; it rains the most from March to May, while the driest months are from June to September. The capacity of the tanks should cover water consumption during the dry period. In the garden of the clinic, there is a covered pavilion that serves as a classroom, kitchen, and dormitory. The design places great emphasis on the use of locally easily accessible materials and local building techniques. The walls are designed from bricks made directly on site from clay, straw, water, and manure, either dried in the sun or fired in kilns. The buildings feature earthen outdoor plaster. The roofing is made of trapezoidal sheet metal, which is suitable for collecting rainwater. The roofing is supported by a wooden structure made from eucalyptus trunks.