Clemson students named finalists in competition to design pediatric clinics for Africa

CLEMSON — Four Clemson University architecture students were selected as finalists in an international competition to design new pediatric clinics for East Africa. Their work was showcased in May at a fundraiser in Seattle hosted by Humanity for Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healthcare for children in developing countries.

Hunter McKenzie, Todd Davis, Sonal Patel and Blake Hoffman — all seniors majoring in architecture — participated in the project as part of their fourth-year design studio classes taught by architecture professors Harry Harritos, Jane Hurt and Annemarie Jacques.

“'Design For The Children' was an open, international design competition inviting architects and designers to create a pediatric clinic model that is both sustainable as well as culturally responsive in its use of local materials and methods of construction,” said Jacques. Possible sites for the new clinics include Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

“These four students are among more than 300 designers from 30 countries who entered the competition,” Jacques said. “It is significant that our students were recognized for their individual entries while the rest of the submittals were from teams of two-to-seven people.”

Anyone could enter, including registered architects and architectural firms. Clemson architectural students submitted about 20 individual designs.

“Most of the entries in the competition were from teams of architects from firms all over the world,” said Jacques, who accompanied the four students to Seattle for the awards ceremony. “Our students' work looked great and deserved to be amongst the 50. Their concepts, design development and presentations were of equal caliber to the rest.”

The competition was judged by a 10-member international jury of architects, educators, medical and public administrators, and others dedicated to improving health care and education in developing countries. The first-place winner was a team of architects and engineers from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. The second- and third-place winners were professional architectural firms from Sydney, Australia, and Los Angeles, respectively. The showcase exhibit will travel nationally as a fundraiser for Save the Children.

“I’m impressed with these students for wanting to do something completely outside the range of what they know and are familiar with. They wanted to test the ways they can use their talent to help others,” Jacques said.