Being a pioneering endeavor in the field of blood transfusion and processing, the clients also made unprecedented demands; a new building ‘type’ where the challenge was to turn a service intensive functional entity into a playful, intuitive receptacle, by removing the repulsion associated with medical facilities and transforming it into a receptive public domain.

The program called for an edifice, which would allure people towards it, captivate them by the unique form, and once inside, awe them with the advanced techniques and components used, thereby creating a desire to revisit the facility. Advanced Transfusion Medical Research Foundation, the promoters, a not for profit charitable trust envisioned a place that would revolutionalize blood collection and component disbursal without replacement, through professional management at affordable costs. ‘Prathama’ was to be the country’s first, situated in Ahmedabad. Located on a non-descript corner plot donated by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the site offered no specific context to begin with.

	+ gsm-prat-sch-01.shtml: Study: Design progression
	+ gsm-prat-sch-02.shtml: Study Model
	+ gsm-prat-sch-03.shtml: Computer simulation

The plan is an outcome of a rational step-by-step intervention that resulted in the basic defining lines. The rectilinear blocks of Laboratories (the Process) and Services (the Support) are placed perpendicular to each other on the two land locked sides of the plot. To shield the Process and the Support from the sun, the South & South-West Periphery (the Skin) of these blocks is pulled out resulting in a bonus Atrium space (the Void). The Skin is stretched further from the Void to accommodate within itself on to one end, the block consisting of the donor room floating on a water body and on the other end, the intuitively curved wall, housing a spiral staircase in pre cast concrete, washed in natural light as its nebulous termination. Between the two sweeping curves a natural entrance is formed and manifested through a porch.

The exterior Skin that presents an image of ‘the simple and one,’ disintegrates into sub spaces as soon as the entrance ushers one into a four-storey void. From the foyer, a person becomes visually conscious of the activities carried out. The glass wall disappears while showcasing the complete process, highlights of which, like the cold rooms, conference room and a hangout are further accentuated by protruding them out of the block.

A paradox continues…. Stoic, the brutal rough wood finish concrete against the finesse of glass & steel; Rebellious, clean rectilinear Process and Support against the intuitive free curves of the Void; opaque and intimidating composition of the exterior, enclosing its transparent intimate void within. A place where construction is the only embellishment, structure its expression, the process its only display, climate buffer its primary space, light its only rendering, this building stands manifested in its intrinsic nature within and an object rooted in nature without.

The project has specifically dealt with restrictions of space and economy. The costs have been kept abysmally low by custom designing all doors, windows, modular furniture including steel work stations, press metal storages, double glazed partitions even upto door handles. Moreover the Scope of work included certain product design items like the auditorium chairs and fully automatic donor chairs, compact 3 in 1 hot and cold-water dispensers, cold room blood stacking & identification system, moving ladders for cleaning glass. As an extension to the center, two prototype mobile blood collection buses were designed and fabricated by the firm, which, incidentally have been very successful and popular. Large fixed furniture like conference, reception and pantry tables are all set in concrete also the 5 m gate has been cast in all weather concrete, anchored on one end it can be opened with a push of a finger. The false ceiling and acoustic paneling in auditorium is in lightweight concrete with vermiculite. All the wooden planks used for exposed form work was salvaged and was later used for the auditorium staging. Rainwater is collected and directed into percolation tanks and even the water body is a self-sustained ecosystem with Kois fishes and water lilies. The project was completed in 12 months and was built at a cost of under Rs.9500 per Sq M., including civil, electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning and interiors.

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Prathama Blood Bank at Ahmedabad.
Advanced Transfusion Medicine Research Foundation (in joint venture with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation)
Drawings...

	+ gsm-prat-dwg-01.shtml: Ground Level plan + Short elevation
	+ gsm-prat-dwg-02.shtml: 1st floor plan + Dorsal Section
	+ gsm-prat-dwg-03.shtml: 2nd floor plan + Ventral Section 01
	+ gsm-prat-dwg-04.shtml: 3rd floor plan + Ventral Section 02
	+ gsm-prat-dwg-05.shtml: Elevations

cont'd... Project Facts...