Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
Bangladesh Friendship Hospital Aerial View | © Asif Salman

Completed in 2018 by renowned architecture firm Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA, Friendship Hospital offers a revolutionary approach to healthcare design. Designed to prioritize patient comfort and well-being, the hospital is arranged around a series of serene courtyards that bring in ample natural light and ventilation, creating a warm and inviting environment for healing. This innovative design by Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA sets a new standard for healthcare facilities and serves as a model for hospitals worldwide.

Friendship Hospital Technical Information

It is indeed a great moment when a recognition as important as this helps to bring attention to a remote corner of our incredibly connected but unknowing world, to a project born out of scarce resources, for the care of people and community destined to live in the fragile environment of a climate in flux.

– Kashef Chowdhury

Friendship Hospital in Bangladesh Photographs

Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
Bangladesh Friendship Hospital Aerial View | © Asif Salman
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA

A Model of Sustainable and Resilient Healthcare in Rural Bangladesh

Nestled in a rural Southwestern Bangladesh region severely impacted by a recent cyclone, the 80-bed Friendship Hospital provides life-saving healthcare to the surrounding community. With its innovative design that blends seamlessly into the water-rich landscape, the hospital is equipped to withstand the challenges posed by the ongoing threat of rising water levels due to climate change.

At the hospital’s heart lies a series of tranquil courtyards that bring in natural light and ventilation, creating a welcoming environment for patients and visitors alike. The facility’s innovative design features a canal that runs the length of the site, separating inpatient and outpatient areas and collecting valuable rainwater for storage in tanks. This vital resource is critical in an area where the groundwater is saline and unsuitable for most purposes.

Built from local brick and known for its durability and affordability, the hospital features strategically placed openings that provide shaded private areas and natural cooling for the wards. This low-cost building serves as a model for sustainable and resilient healthcare design, providing critical care to those who need it most.

Bangladesh Friendship Hospital Plans

Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Asif Salman Courtesy of URBANA
© Asif Salman | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA photograph by Helene Binet Courtesy of URBANA
© Helene Binet | Courtesy of URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA drawing courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA sketch courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA
Friendship Hospital Satkhira Bangladesh Kashef Chowdhury URBANA sketch courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA jpg
Courtesy of Kashef Chowdhury URBANA

About Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA:

Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury was born in Dhaka, the son of a civil engineer, growing up in Bangladesh and the Middle East before graduating in architecture from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 1995. In 2006, he attended the Glenn Murcutt Masterclass in Sydney.

After working with architect Uttam Kumar Saha, he established the practice URABANA in partnership in 1995 and, from 2004, has continued as the sole Principal of the firm. Kashef Chowdhury has a studio-based approach whose works find root in history, emphasizing climate, materials, and context – both natural and human. Projects in the studio are given extended time for research to reach a level of innovation and original expression. Works range from converting ships and low-cost raised settlements in ‘chars’ to training centers, mosques, art galleries, museums, residences, and multi-family housing to corporate head offices.

Chowdhury has been a visiting faculty at the North-South University and BRAC University, both in Bangladesh and has been a juror in final year crits in universities in Dhaka. He was twice a finalist in the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and has won first prize in Architectural Review’s AR+D Emerging Architecture Award 2012.

Works from Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA 

  1. Contractor company name: Golam Mostofa Limited
  2. Structural Design: Descon Engineers
  3. Electrical Engineering: Independent
  4. Plumbing Design: M/S High-Speed Engineers
  5. Sewage Treatment: Sigma Engineers Ltd.
Leave a comment