NAME OF THE PROJECT: Ruby Hall Clinic, Cancer Centre

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: 

Established in 1959 by Dr. K B Grant, Ruby Hall Clinic occupies a prominent place among the medical institutions in India as a multi-specialty hospital dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and research related to various diseases. It is a 560-bed hospital facility with a staff of 150 consultants, 500 panel doctors and 1400 paramedical staff. Ruby Hall Clinic has state of the art facilities in Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Neurology, Nuclear Science Center, Diagnostic Center, Intensive Care Units, a Blood Bank and Cancer Unit. Since it’s commissioning, it has established itself as one of India’s most advanced hospitals comparable to the best in the world. Committed to healthcare, Ruby Hall Clinic offers a full spectrum of services in clinical and surgical care as well as a wide range of specialty support, in-patient and out-patient services.
The Ruby Hall Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art treatment and diagnostic facility, stands tall in a prime area of Pune. The center is a super-specialty wing of the 560-bed general hospital, dedicated solely to the treatment of Cancer.

Cancer is a particularly depressive disease. Extensive research and studies have established beyond doubt that the ambience of a healthcare facility plays a larger-than-life role in the healing process of patients. As conceived, the Cancer Center meets the functional requirements of a high-tech medical facility, while creating a healing environment that is emotionally reassuring.

So much is spoken about the ambience and architecture of hospitals today as it is directly related to the healthcare equipment’s and technology that occupy it. The ever improving urban lifestyle now demands healthcare facilities to international standards. This facility raises the bar on hospital design in India. The soothing colors and materials such as glass and steel used in the building create an ambience that differs from the antiseptic feels usually attached to a hospital.

The center, with a built-up area of 6,500 square meters, was a challenge to design within the site constraints like a footprint of merely 20m x 23m, the profile of the front margin and close proximity of foundations of the existing buildings.

The building is designed in a way to achieve maximum usable areas with simple circulation pattern within the building. The basement houses main treatment areas including the radiation treatment department, together with HDR, scan and treatment planning. The laser-guided radiotherapy unit is the first of its kind in India. The radiation bunker is constructed using hematite concrete. Its massive walls are internally covered with pleasing landscape wallpaper. The spacious reception lobby incorporates a drug shop and a coffee shop. The eight upper floors comprise out-patient departments, day-care centers, 5 operating theaters, CSSD and a 200-seat auditorium. Two floors each are dedicated for cancer day-care and cancer OPD. The natural light from the atrium and the panoramic views of the city and hills beyond enliven their spirits. The five state-of-the-art operating theatres are finished in soft hues of blue, green and peach. Video conferencing facilities are connected to the operating theater above. The complex is connected to the TSSD and changing room below by a sterile staircase. Clinical efficiency is visible everywhere.

Carefully crafted spatial volumes, building forms, pleasing colors and textures that soothe the senses form the base of the project. For the in-patient wards, every bed to have a view of the outside; a minimum walking distance from the nurses station to the rooms allowing a sense of visual check; flexibility for the future so that any floor could be converted from wards to rooms and vice-versa are considered.

Grey granite and silver aluminum composite panels clad the exterior to augment the look of an unconventional treatment facility. The three-storey high atrium is enclosed with glazing suspended from steel bow girders, creating a distinctive luxury environment.

Unlike most stereotype hospitals, the center exudes the ambience of efficiency, excellence of service and a high level of sterility. The planning, design and final architectural expression in the healthcare project is reflective of the gradual shift in outlook of healthcare institutions from merely

treating the sick to a concerted approach to harness healthy living.