Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medicine

While a delicately articulated massing of simple but elegant forms defines a minimalist aesthetic which is contextually rooted in the regional modernist architecture native to post Independence India, the materiality comprising local stone cladding as well as terracotta fins reinforces this nativity. The use of colonnades with pergolas on the lowest levels of the facades for shading the buildings and the pathways, fins on the higher levels to cut out glare and heat while optimizing daylight for the interiors, use of external staircases encased in screening walls at the ends of the building’s wings as a means to insulate from harsh heat, green terraces shaded by pergolas carving out voids which act as ventilating vertical courtyards between the hospital’s parallel wings, a taller built form located on the western front shading the shorter building behind it as well as the plaza between them – all these elements constitute the body of climate responsive passive strategies used in the building’s architecture. Besides, many active devices for energy, water and waste disposal efficiency such as roof-top solar PV panels, rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, etc. have been incorporated to contribute to the campus’ sustainability at platinum level certification.