BELOW : Before Redevelopment
The building needed to accommodate the laboratories and offices required for a regional headquarters of this kind as well as a public zone which would include the donor centre , a restaurant , and the ‘ Journey of Blood ’ exhibition component . Construction had barely started on site when the national Covid19 lockdown came into effect and the site had to close for two months . But , through concerted efforts by the contractor and professional team , the opening was only delayed by a month .
Facilities The existing building already had entrances on two sides of the building , feeding in from separate parking lots . This helped drive the planning by designating a public parking and entrance at the front , and a staff parking and entrance to one side . The main entrance façade was upgraded with new cladding and canopies . A welcoming reception space flows into the donor centre on one side and a restaurant , for visitors and staff , on the other . There is also stair access to the ‘ Journey of Blood ’ route on the upper level .
The staff entrance connects into the office component first , and then to the laboratory component beyond . There is also a 288-seat auditorium for education and training that is accessible to staff from the offices , or to the public from the upper level . The office and laboratory components have connections to an external landscaped area for team-building or relaxation . Lightwells bring daylight into the offices and laboratories through planted atria .
‘ The Journey of Blood ’ comprises a high level walkway overlooking five of the main laboratory areas , as well as interactive information screens along the route . Transparent pneumatic tubes move blood samples between the donor centre and all the testing stations in the laboratories , allowing viewers to visually follow the journey through the different stages . Donors , regulators , scholars , and students can view all the laboratories through glass , enabling a close-up view of all the processes involved with the studying and processing of blood and its components . SANBS CEO , Ravi Reddy , states that this unique destination “ highlights the operating philosophy at SANBS which is underpinned by a focus on long term sustainability , risk mitigation and a values based culture centred on donors , staff and patients ”.
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