When the American Red Cross shuttered its blood donation operations in Puerto Rico in 2013, there was a vacuum left open in the medical services community. The Mutual Services Blood Bank entered to fill that void. In 2014, Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón designed and developed a new 30,000 square foot facility that would serve as a visual symbol of the organizations’ long-term commitment to Puerto Rico and its people. The design team at AD&V wanted to craft a new brand image that was free from many of the darker, more negative connotations that had characterized such facilities in days past. Taking a cue from the hospitality industry, they recommended a look and feel that nearly resembled a spa: clean, contemporary, and uplifting—in short, the exact opposite of the typical blood bank.
At the center of the design is the iconic heart symbol—yet the heart itself is slightly offset to the left— in keeping with both actual human physiology— and the dynamic intention of the design. The intention was to put the business of blood donation into a warmer, more playful, almost childlike /non-threatening context while also sending a heartfelt message of gratitude to those thousands of local donors who literally ‘give of themselves’ in order to save the lives of others.
