Maternal & Newborn Health
Delivering safe, dignified, and culturally resonant childbirth experiences
Birth is a profound, life-altering experience that shapes the long-term health of individuals, families, and communities. Yet, for many people, safe and dignified childbirth remains out of reach. Every year, 300,000 mothers and 2.4 million newborns die — mostly from preventable causes. Infrastructure is part of the problem. Poorly designed health facilities inhibit families from accessing lifesaving care, strain providers, and prevent the adoption of evidence-based practices. The absence of culturally attuned, low-intervention birth environments also deepens racial and geographic disparities in outcomes.
Rwinkwavu Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kayonza, Rwanda
Alan Ricks
By reimagining the spaces where childbirth happens, we can transform how families access care, improve health outcomes, and support experiences that are respectful and culturally attuned.
The Maternal Newborn Health Design Lab builds on a decade of experience designing birth spaces that integrate clinical best practices with the voices and values of the people they serve. From building midwifery-led birth centers, hospitals, and maternity waiting homes to developing global tools and standards for health infrastructure, our work ensures that all communities—regardless of geography or identity—have access to safe, equitable, and culturally grounded care.
Wajamama Birth Village, Zanzibar
We design and implement birth environments with health systems and community organizations, responding to both clinical and cultural needs.
These projects range from midwifery-led birth centers to rural maternity homes and scalable models adaptable across public health systems—each grounded in the local context and designed to improve care.
Case Study: Maternity Waiting Village
In 2010, the President launched an initiative to build 130 maternity waiting homes nationwide in an effort to combat Malawi’s high maternal mortality rate. However, existing prototypes were uncomfortable; had inadequate daylight ventilation, and sanitation; and lacked accommodation for the family members and companions caring for the mothers. As a result, many women were leaving instead of completing their pregnancy at the facility.
The Maternity Waiting Village in rural Malawi offers expectant mothers a space to stay in the final weeks of their pregnancies, reducing preventable risks by ensuring better access to skilled care. MASS worked with doctors, nurses, and expectant mothers to develop a family-centered, culturally-grounded model for maternity waiting in Malawi. The new design features small compounds clustered around courtyards, inspired by traditional Malawian villages.
Iwan Baan
Iwan Baan
Shared spaces promote social exchange, community support, and training activities; and integrate seating and sleeping areas for companions. The units use locally sourced materials and are optimized for natural light, ventilation, infection control, and privacy.
A post-occupancy evaluation found that the Maternity Waiting Village had higher satisfaction ratings than standard facilities, with improved comfort, privacy, and amenities. This peer-reviewed research, published in the Journal of Midwifery in 2018, highlights the importance of design in improving user satisfaction and maternal health outcomes.
