HAITIAN WOMEN’S AIDS CLINIC

The Haitian Women’s AIDS Clinic is aimed at assisting underprivileged Haitian women affected with infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, in the Northwest Region of Haiti. The services are geared towards women aged 14-45, and extends to the care of expectant mothers and their unborn child. Most of these women have almost no access to health care and education, nor do they have access to medication and good nutrition to help keep them healthier longer. These clients have limited access to information and resources, and the clinic can help them make informed choices.

The building has patient and staff wings on either side of flexible classroom spaces that are used for education and outreach/ awareness programs. These spaces are designed using a 3.00 x 3.25m room module that aggregates to a 3.25 x 9.50 construction module which organizes the building into a series of programmed spaces and transition spaces. The modularity allows the project to be built in phases as the financial support allows without limiting the basic functioning of the facility. Simple local construction methods of site and precast concrete with reinforced masonry walls allow for local labor to build the project.

The control of light and access to the spaces within the module allows for a great variety of experiences for the patients. This is especially important, as a critical aspect of this clinic is to destigmatize the experience of being HIV positive to the patient through spaces that make them feel comfortable. Within the spatial module very different types of rooms and lighting are available depending on needs, easing the experience of being a first-time patient.