In Malawi, childbirth takes place as a communal activity.
The Maternity Waiting Village is designed to support this need. Our double-sided section drawing explores different degrees of public and private spaces, highlighting the activities that take place. The drawing enfolds to illustrate the private interiors on one side, and public spaces on the other side, surrounding a central courtyard.
On the interior, the orientation of the buttresses shields the private bed. Between buttresses, storage shelves allow mothers to store personal belongings. The sheltered corridors serve as multi-purpose semi-public spaces. They act as learning spaces for handicraft training to make up for wage loss during pregnancy, as social centers for experienced mothers to pass on knowledge to new mothers, and as accommodation spaces for accompanying family members and attendants.
Our model highlights the kitchen where the most communal activities happen. There is a lack of formal dining spaces in the original design, our intervention creates designated outdoor eating spaces by growing trees and providing flexible furniture. The modular furniture can be stacked to fit sitting positions and needs of pregnant mothers. They can also be arranged into different configurations in response to weather conditions.
