Construction of Kamuzu University of Health Sciences’ dental school by John McAslan + Partners has begun, becoming Malawi’s first faculty of its kind.
The 3,350 square metre building is constructed from locally sourced, handmade, clay bricks, dark red in colour, that make up the vertical pleated elevations. Such pleats are 11 metre tall brick fins that wrap around the building – around 100 in total – which act to shade the interiors from direct sunlight. Between the fins are setback windows, alternating between window and fin in a consistent, orderly rhythm. The rhythm thins at the corners of the blocks, where larger windows, double the width of the bays, mark entrances, and larger interior spaces, which flood with natural light.
CGI showing the Malawi Dental School amidst extensive landscaping also designed by John McAslan + Partners.
“The use of local brickwork and construction techniques was central to our approach,” said Peter Lee, project architect at John McAslan + Partners. “Working in close collaboration with local architects and craftspeople, we’ve developed a building that is not only environmentally responsive but also deeply rooted in Malawian identity and craftsmanship.” The project continues the practice’s ongoing relationship with Malawi, which began with the development of zero-energy, flexible classrooms for rural schoolchildren.
Left: site plan
Right: aerial construction photograph
Interiors are organised around a central social atrium, which connects to a 100-seat lecture hall. Home to Kamuzu University’s Bachelor of Dental Surgery, which launched in 2019, the centre is made up of research labs, shared resource learning areas, and minor operating theatres, intended to open up and propel the discipline, in a country where 50 overseas-trained dentists care for a population of 22 million.
The development was made possible through a Scottish Government funded partnership between Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and the University of Glasgow, referred to as the MalDent Project. The project saw the first cohort of Malawi-trained dentists graduate in April 2025.
