Rising amidst the dense urban fabric of Noida’s Sector 62, Rama Hospital is conceptualisedas a prototype for a new generation of healthcare institutions. Conceived for Rama Group asthe flagship model for a future network of super-speciality hospitals, the project responds tothe realities of urban India—where land is at a premium, healthcare demand is growing rapidly, and meaningful human experience risks erasure in the pursuit of operational efficiency. Within a compact footprint of 2000 square metres, the campus design integrates advanced medical infrastructure with spatial dignity.
The Vision of Care and Identity
The brief centred on creating a flagship institution thatwould set architectural and experiential standards for all future hospitals of the Rama Group. Excellence in healthcaredelivery was non-negotiable, with equal emphasis on both the patient experience and thequality of care. Maximising daylight ingress andintuitive circulation were integral to thisvision. CDA's mandate extended beyond this singular project to the development of aprototype typology that can be systematically replicated across the network's futurefacilities.
Adaptive Reuse as SustainableDesign Strategy
Working within an existing structural framework of predetermined column grids, deckheights, and circulation cores, the design retained and recalibrated the shell rather thandemolishing it. Retrofitting compressed delivery to 15 months while reducing costs by 25%and embodied energy by 35%. Selective structural interventions were undertaken to makethe inherited framework viable for vertical expansion. Foundations, columns, and beamswere strengthened, including jacketing of columns to support additional floors above, ensuring both structural stability and operational efficiency on a compact floor plate. These measures allowed the project to adapt an incomplete shell into a fully realised contemporary healthcare facility without compromising performance.
A Stacked Ecosystem of Care
The completed G+13 structure is conceptualised as a vertically stacked ecosystem of care. Each level within the hospital performs a specialised function within a clearly defined hierarchy. The building's sectional logic follows a gradient of acuity and accessibility. The lower ground floor houses the Emergency Department with dedicated ambulance accessdirectly adjacent to Radiology, collapsing time-critical diagnostic pathways. The ground, first, and second floors accommodate the OPD, designed to manage heavy patient inflow with minimal vertical travel. The fifth to seventh floors consolidate the operating theatres, surgical suites, and ICUs, forming the building’s clinical core. Above these, six inpatientlevelshouse a total capacity of 75 beds, where privacy, controlled acoustics, and panoramic cityviews aid recovery. Two discrete vertical cores, positioned diagonally opposite within the floor plate, structure movement through the building. One combines patient, clinical staff, and service circulation,integrating back-of-house functions, while the other is reserved exclusively for visitors. This separation maintains infection control protocols while rendering navigation self-evident, supported by high-speed elevators and pneumatic distribution systems that sustain operational continuity across all levels.
Material and Environmental Intelligence
The façade negotiates thermal comfort and visual connectivity through calibratedfenestration. High window-to-wall ratios along north and east elevations maximise daylight,while reduced glazing on south and west façades mitigates heat gain. The southwest-facingprimary elevation employs canted glazing oriented 45° eastward, with vertical finsfunctioning as passive solar controls that preserve outward views. Double-glazed unitspaired with 100% recyclable aluminium cladding ensure insulation and material circularity.
Interior surfaces prioritise infection control through antimicrobial vinyl flooring andcontinuous high-pressure laminate planes that eliminate joints and resist microbial colonisation. Rendered in warm, non-institutional palettes and supported by colour-codedwayfinding, the material strategy balances clinical hygiene with psychological ease—rejecting the visual language of sterility without compromising performance.
The facility is designed to achieve IGBC Gold certification through practical, high-impact sustainability measures. Water use is reduced by up to 40% with efficient fixtures and byreusing treated wastewater for flushing and landscape needs. A rainwater harvestingsystem captures runoff from the building’s roof and paved areas, storing it in dedicatedtanks and recharging it into the ground. A 70 KLD treatment plant further supports waterreuse across the hospital.
Around 300 m² of terrace gardens offer calm outdoor pockets for patients and staff whilehelping reduce heat gain. A 35 kWp solar rooftop installation contributes clean energy to everyday operations, lowering the building’s carbon footprint and supporting long-termenergy savings.
