LifeServe Blood Center Headquarters
BNIM Architects
Recognitions:
AIA Iowa 2024 Design Awards
Project Description
Serving more than 170 hospitals across the Midwest region, LifeServe Blood Center Headquarters is a new office space and blood donation center in Johnston, IA, that supports the organization’s vital work within the community and their mission to save lives. LifeServe’s new headquarters enhances overall function and workflow to address the rigorous standards and complexities of blood movement and processing, while creating a welcoming, healthy workplace and community presence that encourages blood donation as a lifelong habit. The facility includes blood donor center, 24/7 blood processing lab, and a spectrum of workspaces and collaborative areas that create a welcoming spirit of space to support building experiences for all.
Design strategies to enhance human health and well-being were thoughtfully implemented within the building to support employee, volunteer, and donor experiences, including generous daylighting, inclusive spaces, a natural palette of materials, transparency and connections to nature, a community-facing donor garden, and optimal comfort levels through reduced solar heat gain with the building's dynamic sunscreen on the south façade. The sunscreen was employed to passively shade the interior program while maintaining a high level of transparency within the building. It also created an opportunity to visually establish LifeServe's identity within the community.