The niche domain of healthcare architecture in India is undergoing a significant shift. Today, healthcare facilities are no longer designed to be purely functional spaces created with simple walls and white lights. Rather, these spaces are now envisioned to be centers that promote healing, thereby driving up the demand for expert architectural solutions that blend creativity with functionality to give shape to facilities that are therapeutic, aesthetic, and patient-centered, while also being functionally sound and sustainable.

Within this realm, Saptak Patel Architects, an Ahmedabad-based firm founded in 2009 by Saptak Patel, a seasoned architect and CEPT graduate with extensive international experience working with prestigious organizations like the U.S. based HOK, and KEOIC, stands out as a prominent organization. Aligning its customized architectural services with the needs of the healthcare clients, as well as the industry trends, the firm brings life to future-ready, flexible, and modular structures and biophilic designs that promote patient wellness.

Crafting Healing Spaces

With the vision to curate spaces that fulfill practical needs but also contribute to wellness, the firm prioritizes visual appeal and operational efficiency as the base pillars of designing healthcare spaces. The firm utilizes innovative materials that are durable, aesthetic, able to withstand heavy use, easy to clean, adhering to safety standards, and supports the provision of state-of the-art healthcare facilities through the creation of spaces that strike a balance between sustainability, aesthetics, and usefulness.

Focused on every aspect of design, the firm takes a close look at details like the color theme, generally inclining towards light and pastel color palette, which plays a pivotal role in creating a positive environment for patients. “We strive to create a positive environment using elements of architecture like natural light, light colors and spacious interiors to comfort patients, their relatives, staff members and doctors who are working in very stressful environments.

Placing clients at the centre of its designing efforts, the firm closely collaborates with the clients, understanding their needs and goals

Moreover, when designing healthcare architecture, our focus is on clear, unobstructed and easy movement of patients, visitors, staff, and doctors to enhance operational efficiency. Strengthened by our dynamic collective of highly talented architects, we offer a unique combination of creativity and technical expertise, creating spaces that reflect our commitment to excellence and adaptability”, shares Saptak Patel, Founder, Saptak Patel Architects.

Placing clients at the centre of its designing efforts, the firm closely collaborates with the clients, understanding their needs and goals, and engaging with healthcare professionals in co-design sessions to collect ideas and improvement suggestions. Intermingling all the key points provided with its creativity, the firm delivers innovative solutions that are conscious of the real-world application challenges, healthcare domain’s regulatory guidelines, safety standardsand workflow optimization requirements.

The firm also emphasizes incorporating innovative technology into healthcare design, focusing on seamless HVAC system integrations, fire safety solutions, and medical infrastructure. Collaborations with engineering experts are a critical part of the firm’s design process to ensure seamless performance, energy efficiency, and compliance with healthcare standards. Smart automation integrations are another key feature of Saptak Patel designs.

Future Roadmap

Having proven its expertise through a number of exquisitely completed projects including the prestigious Zydus Hospital, Vadodara, Zydus Hospital, Ahmedabad, Dr Jivraj Mehta Smarak Health Foundation, and Satya Sai Heart Hospital, Kasindra, the firm has big plans for its future, aimed towards shaping the future of healthcare architecture by prioritizing innovation, sustainability, and community-focused design.

Some of the key projects that the firm is working on currently include the Community Oncology Center, Vasna Ahmedabad, Anandam Hospital, Bhopal, Satya Sai Hospital, Rajkot, and Tanmay Children’s Hospital, Gandhidham, through which it aspires to redefine patient care and set new benchmarks in healthcare design in India and overseas.