The Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS Noida) in Greater Noida is a landmark public healthcare and education project, designed by Vastunidhi Architects with a vision to integrate healing, learning, and sustainability into one cohesive built environment. Spread across 15 acres, the campus includes a 500-bed multi-specialty hospital, a medical college, residential facilities for staff and students, and the necessary supporting infrastructure. Every element has been consciously designed to respond to the needs of patients, students, healthcare professionals, and the environment at large.
GIMS Noida Integrates Healthcare Education and Sustainability | Vastunidhi Architects
Master Planning Rooted in Nature
The campus masterplan is landscape-oriented and revolves around the idea that nature can play a profound role in healing. Instead of isolating the buildings, the design stitches the hospital, college, and allied blocks together through green buffers, shaded pedestrian walkways, and clear visual axes. Movement across the campus is intuitive, with corridors and shaded pathways ensuring comfort, accessibility, and connectivity. Thoughtfully placed seating zones, ramps for the differently-abled, and signage throughout the campus encourage walkability and reinforce inclusivity.
A Patient-Centric Hospital Design
At the heart of GIMS lies the 500-bed hospital, planned as a low-rise H-shaped structure. This specific geometry is not only efficient in terms of building services but also maximises exposure to daylight and ventilation. The form creates multiple courtyards, ensuring that every wing of the hospital receives natural light and views of green spaces. Patient rooms have been designed with large picture windows that offer serene views of the outdoors—helping foster a visual connection with nature, which has been proven to aid recovery. These rooms are also equipped with dedicated zones for family members, allowing them to stay overnight with patients, thus accommodating emotional and cultural needs.
The hospital features six state-of-the-art operating theatres, specialist imaging laboratories, and a comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment zones. Zoning has been planned to separate public, sterile, and emergency circulation routes—streamlining patient movement while maintaining infection control. Waiting areas are designed as bright, open spaces with warm tones and a calming material palette, moving away from the cold sterility often associated with institutional healthcare.
Sustainability at Every Step
From day one, GIMS has been envisioned as a benchmark for environmentally conscious healthcare design. The project incorporates a dual plumbing system to use recycled water for toilet flushing, significantly reducing freshwater consumption. The system treats all wastewater on-site and reuses it, creating a net-zero discharge campus. These water conservation strategies support and strengthen the institution’s broader ecological design intent.
Natural ventilation takes precedence over forced systems, especially in staircases and secondary service areas. Intelligent Building Management Systems (BMS) monitor and optimise HVAC, lighting, and water usage. Intelligent air conditioning systems, zoned for operational efficiency, help maintain thermal comfort while keeping energy consumption low.
The building orientation maximizes glare-free natural light, while daylight sensors in common areas automatically regulate artificial lighting. The emphasis is not just on reducing resource consumption, but on creating a comfortable, healthy environment for occupants—patients, doctors, students, and staff alike.
Green Materials and Low Impact Construction
The choice of construction materials reflects the project’s environmental ethos. The team used ready-mix concrete with fly ash or GGBS to reduce embodied carbon, while incorporating fly ash bricks and Aerocon panels to enhance strength and thermal insulation. Partition walls include salvaged or recycled materials, including reused stone and wooden frames from other projects. For road construction in low-traffic zones, the team has used M5 concrete instead of conventional pavers to ensure long-term durability and reduce dust.
External walls and roofs are treated with high Solar Reflective Index (SRI) paints to lower heat gain. Interior finishes use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints, adhesives, and sealants, ensuring healthier indoor air quality and enhancing the overall wellbeing of the occupants.
Smart Energy Conservation Measures
GIMS actively embeds energy efficiency into its operational strategy. The campus uses energy-efficient light fixtures, along with ISI and BEE-rated pumps, motors, and internal systems. Daylight and motion sensors actively regulate common areas and outdoor lighting. Power factor correction devices installed in substations maximize electrical efficiency. GIMS embeds energy efficiency at the core of its operational strategy. The campus uses energy-efficient light fixtures, along with ISI and BEE-rated pumps, motors, and internal systems.
Daylight and motion sensors actively regulate lighting in common areas and outdoor spaces. Backup power systems include CPCB-certified DG sets that meet emission and noise standards. Power factor correction devices enhance the efficiency of electrical consumption in the substations.
A Campus That Encourages Movement and Community
GIMS is not just a functional institution—it is a living, breathing campus that promotes physical activity, community interaction, and social wellbeing. The design incorporates walkways around landscaped greens, with shaded paths and benches that provide comfort and respite. Sitting areas placed strategically along the movement paths encourage moments of pause and interaction, especially important in a setting that blends medical care with learning.
Additionally, the hospital and academic blocks feature wide corridors, ramps, and accessible entrances. These elements ensure smooth movement for all, including patients, caregivers, and people with disabilities. The pedestrian-friendly layout reinforces the importance of wellness beyond clinical care.
Academic Infrastructure for the Future
The medical college within GIMS actively prioritizes academic excellence, practical exposure, and student wellbeing. It houses digitally enabled lecture halls, seminar rooms, libraries, and student lounges that create a vibrant learning environment. All academic departments feature dedicated laboratories that actively support the curriculum, from anatomy and microbiology to pharmacology and physiology.
Each laboratory includes a clearly designated teaching zone, a preparation room for facilitators, and fully-equipped workstations for practical demonstrations. Designed with warm hues and ample daylight, these laboratories blur the line between the outdoors and indoors. They create a visually stimulating and psychologically uplifting environment for medical students.
Built on the Green Concept
GIMS adopts an integrated green building approach that reduces or eliminates the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants. Sustainable site planning, passive solar design, the use of recyclable products, clean and renewable energy systems, and comprehensive water and waste management strategies are fundamental to the design. The overarching goal is not only environmental conservation but also the health and wellbeing of all who inhabit the campus.
By incorporating these strategies, GIMS actively demonstrates how government institutions can design for more than just service delivery, embracing ecological balance and human dignity as core principles.
With its deep integration of sustainable design, human-focused healthcare planning, and future-ready educational infrastructure, the Government Institute of Medical Sciences redefines the idea of public medical institutions in India. It demonstrates how thoughtful design—when aligned with purpose, people, and the planet—can create environments that do far more than just function. At GIMS, healing happens holistically, learning empowers every mind, and compassion and intelligence guide every detail. Through Vastunidhi Architects’ vision, this project becomes a living blueprint for institutions of tomorrow.
Fact File
Designed by: Vastunidhi Architects
Project Type: Healthcare Architecture Design
Project Name: Government Institute of Medical Sciences
Location: Greater Noida
Year Built: 2020
Duration of the project: 6 Years
Built-up Area: 1,660,000 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Anil Bansal
Photograph Courtesy: Studio Noughts & Crosses
Firm’s Website Link: Vastunidhi Architects
The Firm’s Instagram Link: Vastunidhi Architects
Firm’s Facebook Link: Vastunidhi Architects
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