To mark FBW Group’s 30th anniversary we’ve chosen three stand-out projects that the company has delivered – one for each decade
1990s
Virika Hospital, Fort Portal, Uganda
Holy Family Virika Hospital is a community hospital in Fort Portal, in the Kabarole District of Western Uganda.
A private, non-profit, faith-based medical site, owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal, its history can be traced to humble beginnings as a dispensary founded by an order of nuns in 1911.
On February 6, 1994, Fort Portal, was hit by a heavy earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, leaving 65 per cent of the hospital buildings beyond economical repair.
Subsequent tremors and successive subsiding resulted in further damage, to an extent that only the surgical department and the nurse’s hostel were found in a repairable state. All other buildings were condemned.
FBW led the project to reconstruct the 250-bed general hospital, using all its expertise in architecture as well as structural and mechanical and electrical engineering.
The remit we received included the preparation of new masterplan and building designs and the phased development of a series of earthquake resistant structures using locally available materials.
The hospital was reconstructed in four phases over five years, from 1997 to 2002, and included new wards and an emergency department.
Because the site is earthquake prone, basic design principles were followed to simplify structures and construction methods.
The project incorporated a large element of training and developing local people using a nearby vocational school, the St Joseph’s Technical Institute, as constructor.
2000s
The British High Commission, Kampala, Uganda
The British High Commission in Kampala is a landmark building in the Ugandan capital that has received international recognition for its outstanding design.
The 2008 RIBA International Award Winner was created by London-based Kilburn Nightingale Architects, with FBW Group’s local knowledge and experience playing a key role in the success of the development.
FBW acted as the local architects and structural and civil engineers on the scheme for the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
The building was constructed using locally available materials with the emphasis on creating an “open building” responding to the tropical climate while satisfying the highly sensitive security requirements of the building user.
Arranged around a sunken courtyard it houses the main embassy offices, a visa section, clubhouse, library and exhibition spaces, and sits in lush, landscaped gardens.
It has been designed to be low energy and to make a minimal negative impact on the environment.
2010s
UN MICT, Arusha, Tanzania
One of FBW Group’s flagship projects during its 25 years in East Africa, work on the UN Mechanism for the International Criminal Tribunal (MICT) Arusha got underway in 2014.
FBW was part of an international consortium, with Ridge and Partners from the UK and GMP Consulting Engineers from Tanzania, selected by the UN for the design and delivery of this important facility.
The $8.7m development included a new court building, an office complex, and archive, sited on a prominent hilltop location outside the city.
Three separate buildings house the UN’s operation, arranged around an open-sided courtyard orientate towards views of Mount Meru.
Our team provided architectural, structural, civil and MEP engineering services on the project.
The overall design reflects the essence of the Mechanism, which affirmed itself as a small and efficient model institution in international criminal justice.
The three buildings are lean and minimalist, designed to be flexible and scalable as required to address ad hoc activities, reflecting the UN Security Council’s vision of a small, efficient and temporary institution.
The project also adhered to best practices for green building standards in the design and construction industries, minimising the consumption of energy, water and other resources.
FBW delivered architectural, structural, civil and MEP engineering services on the project.
The buildings were officially opened in November 2016 during a ceremony presided over by Tanzania’s current president Samia Suluhu Hassan, who at the time was the country’s vice-president.
2020s
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The World Food Programme (WFP) offices, Kampala, Uganda
FBW led an international team that has delivered new eco-friendly headquarters in Uganda for two major United Nations agencies.
The combined office in the capital Kampala houses the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The World Food Programme (WFP).
The two organisation’s 350 staff share the new premises and its facilities. FBW provided full in-house design services and acted as project lead. The building was opened in September 2024.
UNICEF is responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. WFP is the food-assistance branch of the UN and is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation.
FBW’s team worked to create the four-storey office building which includes shared meeting rooms and conference facilities for both organisations.
Sustainability is at the heart of the development, with designers making use of natural ventilation and daylight. The building has been designed to save 20 per cent on energy use, water consumption and material-used in the building.
This affords it an EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certificate from the IFC-World Bank, a global standard for green building. The building has also been constructed using locally available materials.
The international team led by FBW was made up of Orbit Design, based in Thailand, providing interior designs; landscaping expert Landmark Studio from South Africa and Mace YMR, from Kampala, appointed as quantity surveyor on the scheme.
FBW also worked on the project with WFP engineers and architects based in Rome and UNICEF’s New York-based architects and engineers.