This superstructure, designed and constructed in Buffalo, New York, was a combined effort by Yazdani Studio of the Cannon Design to conglomerate three different disciplines into a single massive facility. The initial idea was to bring in various fields, such as research, business, and education to be put together for the vaticinate vision that aims towards growth and development of all, as a community.
The structure, which was opened more than a decade ago, flaunted its postmodern architecture, emphasizing the extensive use of lightwork and its ability as a whole to serve as a functioning non-profit hospital that provides services such as stroke care, cardiac surgery, and vascular services. Being affiliated with the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, also known as Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, brought in more influences as the students now have the chance to learn from the best of the professors and gain practical knowledge from the same.
With the structure being made up of the “universal grid”, chances of future expansions were not neglected, instead, it provided the clients or the commissioners with the opportunity to boast about the multipurpose nature of this building. As known theoretically, the universal grid approach is quite adaptable to the options of bringing in any technologically advanced changes without changing the core structure or any major services of the building.
With a rough estimate of about 60,000 patients, that are paying a visit to this building annually, a lot of design considerations are made to make it easier for them to access and accommodate the internal spaces. The lushness of natural light flowing in from all directions creates a peaceful and positive environment for the patients and their families.
The CTRC (abbreviated for the Clinical and Translational Research Center) occupies the top half of the building, offering many technologically advanced laboratory spaces that are dedicated to clinical research work centers, biomedical laboratories, dry laboratories for epidemiology and biostatistics and specialist research facilities for biomedical engineering, physiology, and angiography. The innovative use of open labs, instead of the traditional cramped lab rooms was a unique idea, put forth into execution during the development of this structure.
Also, 16 intensive care unit beds, seven surgery rooms, and numerous patient and family amenities such as a spacious waiting lounge with a capacity of 90 people, and a direct elevator, which is used for the immediate transfer of patients from the ground floor to the procedure labs and operation theatres, are provided on the campus of GVI (short for Gates Vascular Institute) among with the “verticle campus” covering the first four floors of the building. Also located on the other edge of the building, new imaging technology for CT scans and x-rays is provided with 53 patient rooms that ensure safety for behavioural health patients. It also features a hotel, comprising four nursing quarters that come together to form 62 private patient rooms, each of which is independently capable of facilitating operations. Another unique feature of which is the ability for multiple of these pods to come together and form a single workable unit. An addition of 59 exam rooms and five admissions offices cover the entirety of the GVI.
The combination of these floor levels is newly introduced to an emergency room, a helipad, six hundred and ten beds, 28 operating rooms, seventeen interventional labs, four CT scanners, and four MRIs.
About the floors stacked between the GVI (Gates Vascular Institute) and CTRC (Clinical and Translational Research Center), a semi-formal space is allocated, acting as a transitionary space that is accessible by both the education and hospital facilities. This region contains catering and conference facilities such that a dynamic exchange of ideas and research could take place. This space encourages the formation of groups, such that targeted problems are solved with intensive research.
For the planning of incredulous concepts and the development of such innovative designing methods, the GVI (Gates Vascular Institute) was awarded the AIA Healthcare Design Award in the year 2013 by the American Institute of Architects. They appreciated the “well integrated” and “thoughtful” designs that “pushed the boundaries of hospital programming” and “challenged the conventional hierarchy of health centre planning”
With the completion of this project, costing upwards of $250 Million, a “100-year plan” was devised to ensure the proper utilization of spaces and their healthcare facilities, such that they can accommodate new future inventions and incorporate them into possible future expansions and revise the internal zoning accordingly. This planning module makes sure that the building sustains for at least 100 years, which could be further reconstructed.
The completion of this project, spanning more than 400,000 sq. feet proved not only that a collaborative effort could make an although small but significant change, but also that it could be turned into a global success.
References and Citation:
Archdaily (2022). Kaleida Health Gates Vascular Institute / Cannon Design. [online]. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/346337/kaleida-health-gates-vascular-institute-cannon-design [Accessed date: 27 November 2022].
Architizer (2022). Gates Vascular Institute // Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design. [online]. Available at: https://architizer.com/blog/projects/gates-vascular-institute/ [Accessed date: 27 November 2022].
Wikipedia (2022). Gates Vascular Institute. [online]. (Last updated: September 2022). Available at: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_Vascular_Institute [Accessed date: 27 November 2022].
