GLASGOW-based NVDC Architects is celebrating an award win for their Elanic Private Hospital project in the city.
The firm was awarded Gold at the Scottish Design Awards 2025 in the Health category, with it also announced this week that it has been shortlisted for the AJ Retrofit and Reuse Awards 2025 in the Adaptive Reuse category.
The new £6 million hospital, which opened in February, was designed by NVDC to reflect the values of the client, Dr Vivek Sivarajan, medical director and founder of private healthcare specialists Elanic, in creating a fully compliant day surgery and hospital featuring the latest technological advances in healthcare combined with a comfortable, non-institutional feel.
Located in what NVDC described as ‘one of the city centre’s neglected Brutalist buildings’, formerly the Bath Street branch of Royal Bank of Scotland, the project stands out for its innovative reuse of an existing commercial unit within an old shopping centre.
This unit, surrounded by active retail and commercial spaces on all sides, has been transformed into a compliant and functional hospital facility in the heart of Glasgow city centre.
Farahbod Nakhaei, NVDC founder said, “Putting a pre-fab in an out-of-town location would have been cheaper alternative. However, we at NVDC recommended re-use of the existing building as the most environmentally responsible option.
“This 1980’s building is a noteworthy example of modernist Brutalist architecture, and so part of Glasgow’s built heritage and history. With the demise of retail and the impact this is having on city centres everywhere, it is important that new uses are introduced so that our cities remain at the heart of community activities. Anactive and vibrant city centre is crucial in creating attractive cities with a feel good factor. The feelgood factor of a city will attract new investment and bring with it a stronger economy for the city and residents.
“The new hospital will therefore not only re-use a large commercial unit which otherwise would have lain empty for years and reinforced the feeling of a deteriorating city, but instead creates jobs, attracts activity into city centre and bring with it forces of regeneration.”
NVDC added that it followed the latest research-based approach to the benefits of healthcare design in Elanic. This, it said, can be seen in the careful and complimentary choice of colour and materials, finishes and furniture to help create a calming, welcoming hospital environment, promoting spiritual and mental wellness for users and staff.
Retrofitting and upgrading the existing 40-year-old premises to create a sustainable and energy efficient building with long-term viability involved measures such as: installation of a new heat recovery ventilation system in line with SHTM guidelines and requirements; all windows and glazing replaced with double glazing; where possible new insulation has been installed to improve the energy efficiency; all lighting is LED motion sensors and PIRs to ensure power usage wastage is minimised as far as possible.
Dr Vivek Sivarajan, added, “NVDC are the premier small hospital designer in Scotland. The top three independent hospitals in the country have all been designed and built by them.
“They have a keen eye for the regulations, embrace innovation and are great at getting everything over the line.”
The main contractor on the £6 million Elanic Private Hospital project was Redpath Construction.
