In 2003, the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) was rapidly expanding its services and products, as well as the geographic area it serves. This growth precipitated the need to expand and relocate. Through a competitive process, Studio483 was selected to assess the MVRBC’s needs, select an appropriate location, and design a state-of-the-art medical manufacturing facility and administrative headquarters. The new 76,000-square-foot, two-story facility is located on seven acres along a developing commercial and corporate corridor.
In one of the first buildings in what has matured into the region’s premiere office park, the donor room occupies the iconic “tip” of the building, overlooking a pastoral setting and one-acre water feature. The entry and reception area open to a daylight-infused, two-story public lobby with cascading stair and screened elevator tube leading to the second-level administrative areas. The remainder of the first level is the “heart” of the facility, where the donated blood and plasma is collected, stored, screened, and ultimately transformed into lifesaving blood products.
