Fortis Hospital, Greater Noida

Initially designed as a hotel by the Creative Designer Architects, the original structure offered a standardised structural grid, affording immense flexibility for internal planning and reconfiguration. With a generous 13-feet floor-to-floor height, the design seamlessly integrates MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) services into the ceiling while maintaining spacious 9-foot ceiling heights for patient comfort. A precise understanding of existing site data and variations from construction documents proved essential in the transformation process. Utilising a 3D scan to create a digital twin of the building in point cloud format became the foundation for the proposed design.

The hospital’s design embraces solar passive principles, prioritising abundant natural light and minimising heat gain through high-performance glazing, reducing reliance on electrical and HVAC systems. The facade design is aligned with climatic orientation – the northern facade features a higher window-wall ratio, reducing artificial lighting needs and minimising the hospital’s carbon footprint. The design aspires to attain a LEED certification for operations and maintenance, a sustainability standard USGBC offers for existing structures. One of the key highlights of this building is the facade, which is designed to ensure minimal disturbance to the existing design of the facade while curbing the heat gain. The existing building envelope had a full-glazing whereas the new façade is altered to make the glass opaque with insulation while ensuring a functional aesthetic on the outside.

Fundamentally, from a medical planning perspective, transforming the existing structure into a functionally optimised facility is based on a patient-centred approach and evidence-based design principles. The various departments are strategically planned with an open floor plate with service cores at both ends, allowing maximum flexibility in planning in-patient and outpatient departments across various floors. Separate entrances for visitors and emergencies on different floors cater to various arrival modes and ensure patient rooms enjoy natural light and outside views. The facility planning ensures seamless transition of patients, hospital staff, and visitors throughout the facility. Simultaneously, the requisite mechanical, electrical and HVAC provisions appropriate for medical space planning and compliant with various national and international standards of fire safety, patient care, health and well-being, such as NBC, ASHRAE, NABH, JCI, etc., have been incorporated in the design. The project also uses technology like a network of occupancy and daylight sensors and a centralised Building Management System (BMS) for enhanced efficiency in energy use and predictive maintenance.