MRC Keneba is a rural field station situated in the Kiang West region of The Gambia and houses the Nutrition Group of the MRC Laboratories in Gambia.

The field station provides out-patient based services, midwifery and nursing care concentrating primarily on maternal and child health.

The station also has research laboratories, clinical diagnostics, data processing, physiology study and obstetrics.

The expansion of research and demand for services has led to the requirement for additional research laboratories and clinical facilities and meeting room facilities, together with new housing  provisions.

The success of the facility has also had an impact on the number of visitors and research students visiting the unit. The meeting facilities also need expansion in order to support this increase in  activity.

Austin architectural, building services and structural team carried out a site inspection and survey and developed the design with the users from concept through to detail design, specifications  and construction information.

The development area within the site is relatively limited so a phased implementation of new and expanded facilities is envisaged. The provision of a new incinerator adjacent to existing  workshops will provide the enabling work.

A new visitor housing unit will occupy the old incinerator site, which will then release space at the front of the side for the expansion of existing laboratory facilities, clinic and data offices. The  expansion of the existing meeting room building forms part of the development strategy.

Existing Research and Clinic upgrade modifications and expansion of the existing ground floor accommodation will create a larger open plan laboratory with access from within the building in  order to reduce contamination from outside.

A new, enlarged delivery suite will be constructed, observation room added and toilet and shower provision increased. GP’s will be provided with separate consulting rooms.

On the First Floor the internal walls to corridor and within offices will be removed to provide a large, light space for the data entry. The first  floor will be expanded to incorporate a tissue culture laboratory and microbiological laboratory.

The existing bungalow adjacent to the laboratory will be re-modelled to provide a larger store for the laboratory consumables, a freezer store, autoclave and glass wash area as well as an office for a  store manager.

Seminar Building: The current meeting room will be extended to meet the increase in demand. The extension will accommodate up to 100 people and incorporate an acoustic dividing wall to  increase flexibility. The offices will be extended in order to move activities from the research building.