Nightingale Architects makes a
stand at SAFHE
29 May 2009
Fast-growing practice shows benefit of international influence at biennial event.
Nightingale Architects (SA), a recently established subsidiary of international practice, Nightingale Associates, showed its presence at the annual SAFHE (South African Federation of Healthcare Engineers) Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
The theme for this year’s conference was to raise awareness of sustainable and cost-effective healthcare services in South Africa, with speakers including some of the country’s most senior and influential industry professionals.
Nightingale Architects, which was set-up just eight months ago, has been rapidly increasing its presence in the South African public sector market, with a number contract wins the Agulhas Lighthouse Development, located on the continent’s southern-most tip.
“As a practice, we have been looking forward to this summit, which has been the ideal opportunity to raise awareness of the Nightingale brand in South Africa.”
Wallace Manyara, South African Business and Development Director, NA(SA)
Nightingale Architects (SA) was also supported by Nightingale Associates’ International Development Director, Chris Sherwood, who presented a paper on the influence of PPP on hospital design quality. With a large, long-established practice behind it, Nightingale Architects (SA) is able to bring international expertise to the buoyant South African public sector market, which offers a wealth of opportunity for the construction industry.
“Our stand was well attended and we had the opportunity to engage with a number of key stakeholders in the SA healthcare sector. These are very interesting times for South Africa; the new administration faces the challenge of increasing delivery, capacity and quality across the country, which we believe Nightingale Architects (SA) can assist with by engaging with the government at both a strategic and grass-roots level, in order to deliver sustainable solutions.
“The design quality and appropriateness of South Africa’s new generation of healthcare facilities is absolutely critical to us as a nation because it is a fundamental right of all our people to have access to good health services. Good integrated and holistic design impacts not only on the functionality, capital cost and ongoing running costs of a hospital over its entire life expectancy, but also on the individual well-being of patients, staff and visitors.
“These are the issues that Nightingale Architects would like to assist the Department of Health with – improving the overall quality and access of healthcare facilities across South Africa.”
Wallace Manyara, South African Business and Development Director, NA(SA)
The SAFHE biennial conference took place in Cape Town from 20th – 22nd May. The event continues to be highly respected and widely recognised as the forum for debate and interaction between the public and private sectors in healthcare in South Africa.
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