In the 2014 we were awarded of two competitions in Oman for the design of the expansion of Nizwa and Sohar General Hospitals.

Nizwa project includes the expansion of the A & E Dpt, of the Radiology Dpt,of the CSSD, the SCABU, the Adult ICU, a new Delivery O.T., the Administration offices, the dialysis, the Surgical and Obstetrics Wards, PG seminar and study rooms, cafeterias, a library and a Conference Hall . The total number of Inpatients beds will increase from 305 to 468 in addition to 92 beds for Transitional Patients.

The additional surface has been calculated on 35,500 sqm including 27,900 sqm for the new buildings and 10,300 sqm for the new parking area. From an architectural point of view we employed only few basic big elements:

The convex wall that contains the en-suite toilets of the wards rooms

The flat ribbed wall that contains all other hospital spaces.

The full-height sunscreens, with a rectangular form in front of the windows of the corridors and a traditional pointed arch in front of all other rooms (Mashrabiya). For a better indoor environment and patients’ comfort, larger windows have been envisaged compared the existing ones.

Meanwhile we proposed enamelled aluminium, double glazed with laminated glass, windows, with excellent thermal insulation quality and, to shade the sun, external sunbreakers.

The Mashrabiya have the same traditional pattern of the existing ones, but they have a larger texture to avoid the sense of closure and a greater depth to prevent the sun entering. They are made of enamelled aluminium profiles.