IMK Architects wins at the international innovative health design awards

Mumbai-based architecture and urban design firm IMK Architects was awarded the Honourable Mention in the Built Work category at the first International Innovative Health Design Awards, for the Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre (SUHRC).

The Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) in Yixing, China, designed by SUP Atelier, founded by Prof. Song Yehao from Tsinghua University School of Architecture (THAD) in Beijing, was awarded the winner in the same category.

The UIA (Union Internationale des Architectes) was founded in 1948 and is a federation of national professional organisations working to unify architects, influence public policies and advance architecture in service to the needs of society. The International Innovative Health Design Awards aimed to celebrate the essential role that architects play in social and environmental well-being and to address how architecture and architecture research focused on Design for Health, can help to mitigate the impact of future calamities. The Awards sought to recognise innovative architectural design solutions addressing issues brought to the fore by the COVID­19 pandemic.

The jury recognised SUHRC “for the contribution it makes to our profession. The project demonstrates a fitting response to its setting, designed with full acknowledgement of the topography and the needs of the surrounding community for state-of-the-art health care, research, education, and skills development. The reference to “Tele-Medicine services” for rural communities is very relevant, and the use of the facility as a Covid-19 centre demonstrates the multi-functional character of the facility.”

Occupying the lower slopes of a hill within Symbiosis International University’s 260-acre estate in Lavale, Pune, SUHRC is a 96,100-square-metre, 216-bed, multi-specialty hospital that represents a new and progressive face for healthcare infrastructure in India, providing state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and a research centre to enhance skill development. The second phase of development at SUHRC, which entailed the addition of a Teaching Hospital for the Symbiosis Medical College for Women, has been completed in a record span of four and a half months. This was achieved by creating a simple, efficient, and flexible design solution that was quick to construct and would be adaptive to changing requirements.

SUHRC represents a new and progressive face for healthcare infrastructure in India. The project is an exemplar of passive design and sustainability. IMK Architects’ design draws from the ideas of biophilia (an innate human tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life) to promote recovery and rejuvenation for patients and healthcare professionals. With its state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and a research centre to enhance skill development, it is firmly anchored as a COVID-19 quarantine and treatment facility, contributing to Maharashtra’s fight against the pandemic.

Rahul Kadri, Partner and Principal Architect, IMK Architects and Nithin Hosabettu, Design Director, IMK Architects says, We wanted to design a hospital that was sustainable, climate-responsive and addresses critical health concerns of cross-infection and contamination, especially during the pandemic. We designed the hospital around courtyards which allow for adequate natural light and ventilation, with little reliance on mechanical cooling systems, while integrating biophilia into the facility. We would like to thank the UIA and the International Innovative Health Design Awards jury for this award, and our visionary clients, the Symbiosis Society, for having immense faith in us. It has been an honour to work with Dr. Mujumdar, Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar and family, on various projects for the last 17 years. Their integrity, vision, and commitment to the betterment of society is hugely inspiring. We would also like thank our hardworking teams who work tirelessly to make our projects come alive.

Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Pro Chancellor, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) and Principal Director, Symbiosis Society says, The Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre (SUHRC) is a project that is very close to my heart as I am a doctor. Rahul Kadri, Partner and Principal Architect, IMK Architects and his team’s strategic design not only caters to every aspect of efficient healthcare delivery but also addresses elements of sustainability. The hospital was our dream project which IMK Architects turned into reality.

for more info visit : https://imkarchitects.com/

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