The Friendship Hospital in Bangladesh designed by Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA will be awarded the RIBA International Prize 2021, the global accolade for design excellence and social impact.

A project of the NGO Friendship, this hospital complex is located in Shyamnagar, an upazila of Satkhira District in southwest Bangladesh. Built by the Dhaka practice of Kashef Chowdhury, the pavilions of exposed brick mingle with the rural surroundings, optimizing space to accommodate eighty beds. Interconnected courtyards and openings bring in natural light and air. Separating the zones for confined and day patients is a canal zigzagging across the premises, collecting rainwater and contributing to a microclimate. The design efficiently keeps within a reduced budget and enables patients and visitors to enjoy the place with near and far views. The hospital has been shortlisted for the 2021 RIBA International Prize, the winner of which will be announced early in 2022.