Members of the Atlanta healthcare studio of global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will were awarded the 2018 IIDA Transformation and Innovation award for their regional hospital project in Ghana, West Africa.  The Greater Accra Regional Hospital at Ridge, Accra is 465,560 square foot (43,252 square meter), and supports the growing needs of the fast developing African country. This is the second women and children’s hospital in Africa to be designed by Perkins+Will, preceded by the Kenya Women and Children's Wellness Centre in Nairobi.
 
The state-of-the-art building, accommodating 600 beds and more than 12 surgical theaters, is home to numerous hospital services including public health, accident and emergency, imaging, obstetrics, gynecology, dental, surgical, intensive care, laboratory, respiratory therapy, and administration.
 
The design was inspired by the unique relationship between nature and color, and the cultural significance of space and journey found in Kenya. This relationship is beautifully represented through the Kente cloth, an icon of African heritage and part of the local weaving culture in Ghana. The building represents the complexity and richness of a culture and its environment, a relationship with light, public and private spaces, and a place for healing based on inspiration from the village, family, and ultimately the embrace of a mother and child.