Mahmoud Agha and Larry Fink Present Hospital Design Concept to First Lady of Egypt

In April, 2006, RBSD was invited to develop a conceptual design and space program for a new 300-bed hospital to replace the existing Heliopolis Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. In early May, RBSD Principal Mahmoud Agha, PhD, AIA, and Senior Associate Larry Fink, AIA, traveled to Cairo to present the firm's concepts for the new hospital to Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, Dr. Hatem El Gabaly, Minister of Health, as well as the Chairman of the Board and other members of the Heliopolis Development Corporation, which owns Heliopolis Hospital.

RBSD's design concept reflects the unique visual cues that patients have experienced in their daily lives, while conveying the aesthetic appeal of a modern, streamlined, and technologically state-of-the-art 21st century facility. To this end, the exterior of the building features sleek lines, as well as an abundance of glass windows, which are enhanced by shading elements that help provide the appropriate amount of light and shade. In the interior of the proposed new building, two parallel skylighted courtyards will provide a nurturing connection to the outdoors. The majority of the patient floors feature single rooms that provide privacy within a comfortable, hospitality-like environment.

Dr. Agha and Mr. Fink's presentation of RBSD's design concept to Egypt's dignitaries and business leaders was reported in both of Cairo's major newspapers, Al Ahram and Al Akhbar.