At the Center for Friends Without A Border (Friends Center), visitors will have a unique opportunity to learn more about the impact of Cambodia’s recent history and the dramatic progress being made today through the medical care, education and outreach programs provided by Friends.

The Friends Center symbolizes a nexus of caring for the community and of ecological sustainability. The design of the center represents a gesture of openness that invites visitors to connect with the mission and learn about the projects of Friends, while allowing Angkor Hospital for Children to maintain the dignity and privacy of the children and their families.

The award-winning design of the Friends Center was developed by the internationally renowned architectural firm, Cook + Fox. The design and construction were grounded in the cultural belief that there is an inherent link between the health of Cambodia’s people and its environment. The Friends Center itself demonstrates an ethos of cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability, honoring the Khmer legacy of wise stewardship during the Angkor period. Rainwater is captured for reuse, bamboo louvers and roof overhangs are angled to the path of the sun for temperature control, and the roof is engineered for solar photovoltaic power. Renewable biofuel derived from the jatropha plant will be used to help generate the power necessary to operate the Friends Center.

The Friends Center theater features educational videos. Visitors can learn about the history of Friends and AHC, and how it has become a leading pediatrics hospital in patient care, education, and outreach programs, dramatically impacting Cambodia’s national healthcare infrastructure.

The Friends Center also houses a rotating gallery of fine art; every three months, the works of different prominent artists from around the world are featured in the Friends Center’s stunning gallery. Many of the artists featured have become long-time supporters. A permanent exhibition of Kenro Izu’s Angkor images will also be featured at the gallery. It was during these earliest visits that he became inspired to found Friends Without A Border and the AHC.

Visitors can also visit the donation lounge which offers beautiful books of Cambodian photography, greeting cards, and other unique gifts designed for AHC. Donations and proceeds from sales of the gift items go directly to fund the hospital and other programs of Friends Without A Border.

The Friends Center was made possible by the generosity of Sterling Stamos Capital Management, a private investment firm committed to reinvesting in the world through corporate philanthropy.