CBS Plasma Donor Centre (Sudbury)

Canadian Blood Services manages the collection, processing and distribution of blood and blood products that include plasma, stem cells, and organs and tissues for Canada’s healthcare systems. Canadian Blood Services realized a need to establish plasma-only donation centers to support life-saving therapies and treatments made from plasma-derived protein products. As a proof of concept, the first of three Canadian Blood Services Plasma Donation Centres in Canada was designated for Sudbury, ON, located in an existing community shopping mall. The vision for the Centre was to design a social, engaging and welcoming environment that would redefine the donor experience to attract and retain new and diverse donors, and to promote Plasma donation as a part of the community’s everyday life.

NORR, in collaboration with Canadian Blood Services, designed the proof of concept Centre to foster a meaningful donor journey and a sense of community to increase the plasma donation base. The Centre is designed around a social and recovery zone that overlooks the plasma collection area. The collection area features donor-centric pod clusters, which are strategically arranged in groups to foster social engagement while donating. There are a multitude of pod configurations to suit diverse groups and customizable additions to fulfill entertainment and technology requirements. Sight lines achieve clear visualization and connection between staff and donors. The design embraces openness and natural light featuring bright and engaging accents which are contrasted by warm, natural elements such as a wood slat ceiling that emphasizes the principal spaces of the Centre that is central to the design vision.

The Plasma Donor Centre design also considers efficiency in plasma operations, carefully designed to house an optimized processing area and supply rooms to support the storage and movement of plasma for further distribution and processing. The integration of mechanical and electrical engineering systems was designed to accommodate patient comfort and future adaptability, with redundant HVAC in critical spaces for processing and storage of product and supplies. The proof of concept design will assist in assessing performance goals, as well as staff and patient experience.