Butaro Oncology Support Centre
The Butaro Oncology Support Centre extends care beyond clinical treatment, providing a safe, restorative space for patients and families traveling long distances to receive cancer care at Butaro.
Since the opening of the Butaro District Hospital in 2011, the region has emerged as a hub for medical excellence in sub-Saharan Africa. To expand access to non-communicable disease care, Partners In Health established the Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence (BCCE), which quickly began drawing patients from across Rwanda and neighboring countries, including South Sudan.
The long travel distances and associated costs became a barrier to treatment for many, underscoring the need for on-site accommodations. In response, the Butaro Oncology Support Centre was developed as the first inpatient cancer support facility in Rwanda, providing patients and families with a place to stay while receiving treatment, along with access to peer counseling and psychosocial support.
Iwan Baan
Butaro Cancer Center & Oncology Support Center in close proximity to each other
MASS worked closely with patients, attendants, and clinical staff to shape the facility’s layout around the lived needs of its users. The building provides sleeping quarters, toilets, showers, dining areas, and dedicated counseling spaces—all wrapped in outdoor porches and a shared central gathering space that fosters connection and rest.
The design emphasizes natural ventilation to protect immunocompromised patients and echoes the contours of the steep, terraced landscape, with curved exterior walls that form semi-private outdoor “living rooms” adjacent to bedrooms.
Iwan Baan
The Oncology Support Centre is the fifth MASS-designed project on the Butaro Campus, following the District Hospital, Doctors’ Housing, Doctors’ Sharehousing, and the Cancer Center of Excellence.
