Geoffrey Mosoti Nyakiongora, an innovative graduate architect and researcher, has been selected to present his work at the 2025 Venice Biennale, marking a significant milestone in his mission to address the healthcare crisis in rural Kenya. A former student member of AIA East Bay, Geoffrey has been deeply engaged with the architectural community, and his early promise was recognized when he and his team won the Student Design Award at the 2023 AIA East Bay Design Awards. Now, his research, titled Bridging the Health Divide: Achieving Equitable Healthcare Access in Rural Kenya Through Artificial Intelligence, explores how AI can revolutionize hospital design by making healthcare facilities more culturally sensitive, adaptable, and accessible in underserved regions.
His presentation at the Venice Biennale, which runs from May to November, will showcase a series of essays and images demonstrating how AI can be harnessed to rethink hospital infrastructure. The project directly tackles Kenya’s stark healthcare disparities, where only 25% of the population has health insurance and where rural hospitals face chronic shortages of healthcare professionals, equipment, and essential medicines.
Using AI to Reimagine Healthcare Infrastructure
Geoffrey’s research leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) trained on Kenyan cultural and healthcare data to develop hospital designs that integrate telemedicine capabilities. These AI-driven designs prioritize efficient space utilization, adaptability, and cultural appropriateness, ensuring that hospitals not only meet medical demands but also align with the social and environmental realities of the communities they serve.
By fine-tuning GPT models on telemedicine adoption rates and rural healthcare needs, Geoffrey’s research demonstrates how AI can accelerate hospital design processes, optimize patient flow, and create flexible spaces supporting both in-person and remote care. This is particularly critical in regions where long distances and underfunded health facilities prevent many people from accessing timely medical treatment.
Reflecting on his inspiration for this work, Geoffrey shared:
“I met an architect who told me that in Rwanda, patients were leaving hospitals sicker than they arrived because of how poorly designed the waiting rooms were. Then COVID-19 made it painfully clear that healthcare spaces must be designed to protect people, not put them at greater risk. I felt an urgent need to rethink how hospitals are planned, designed, and built—especially in regions where resources are limited.”
AIA’s Role and Ongoing Collaboration
Geoffrey credits his participation in AIA East Bay’s 5x5x5 mentorship sessions at Berkeley for providing him with valuable guidance that continues to shape his work. AIA East Bay is proud to support Geoffrey’s efforts and has committed to:
- Highlighting his research and Venice Biennale selection through this article.
- Providing additional resources on community-driven healthcare solutions, including UN-led programs that integrate local materials and best practices.
- Exploring funding opportunities to help Geoffrey attend the May 7th opening event, as the gallery does not cover travel costs.
Challenges and Future Implications
While Geoffrey’s work presents a visionary approach to hospital design, he acknowledges several key challenges, including:
- Data limitations in rural settings, which impact AI model accuracy.
- Ethical concerns surrounding AI’s role in healthcare decision-making.
- The technological hurdles of integrating telemedicine in low-resource environments.
Despite these challenges, his research provides a scalable model for AI-driven, culturally sensitive hospital design, with potential applications beyond Kenya. His findings offer a blueprint for architects, policymakers, and healthcare leaders worldwide looking to improve healthcare infrastructure through AI-driven solutions.
Looking Ahead
As Geoffrey finalizes his materials for the Biennale, he remains committed to advocating for improved healthcare design in Africa. His selection for the Biennale marks a historic achievement, as he is only the second Kenyan graduate architect to ever receive this honor.
AIA East Bay is excited to share Geoffrey’s journey and will continue supporting his efforts. If you would like to learn more, explore collaboration opportunities, or support Geoffrey’s participation in Venice, please reach out to AIA East Bay, or donate to Geoffrey’s GoFundMe.
For more about Geoffrey’s work, visit his LinkedIn profile.
