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Sapthagiri Hospital

As a health visitor who works in various parts of the city, I have come to know many institutions in the field of healthcare, yet Sapthagiri Hospital is really the only free pediatric hospital in Bengaluru that is trying to innovate in the way care is given to children, without putting the financial burden on their families.

In the heart of Bengaluru, the Sapthagiri Hospital has turned into a beacon of hope for the underprivileged families. As a free pediatric hospital in Bengaluru, it treats children of all age groups, from newborns to adolescents, with world-class health care services. Modern medical infrastructure and well-qualified pediatricians, along with caring nurses who would bestow love and dignity on every child, make this hospital great.

During my visits, I observed several major reasons why families choose Sapthagiri Hospital as their main free pediatric hospital in Bengaluru:

Completely Free Services: From consultations, diagnostics, and investigations through surgeries and follow-up, all pediatric services rendered to the patients free of charge. This alone could be a major motivation for low-income families.

Specialty Pediatric Units: The hospital has specialty units for neonatology, pediatric surgery, intensive care (PICU/NICU), and immunization, providing a one-stop shop for child healthcare.

Outreach and Community Programs: In my experience as a health visitor, I have witnessed the community health programs of Sapthagiri Hospital

extending awareness and treatment access even to the remotest areas of Bangalore.

One story that remains etched in my heart is that of a 6-month-old baby with congenital heart disease. Working as daily wage earners, his parents were heartbroken to be told of astronomical surgery charges at some other place. The baby was then referred to Sapthagiri Hospital, where he had the life-saving surgery completely free of cost. The baby is now okay and performing well, all because of this excellent free pediatric hospital in Bengaluru.

Sapthagiri Hospital says no child is ever denied treatment because he cannot pay for it. It is not just a hospital; it is an organization wherein the community and children come first. Every time I walk into the pediatric ward, I see smiles-many on small faces, but also smiles of relief from parents grateful that their tiny ones are being cared for in this free pediatric hospital in Bengaluru.

With the growing load of patients and increasing support from donors and volunteers, Sapthagiri Hospital is instituting the benchmark of a free pediatric hospital in Bengaluru. Their vision goes beyond cure; they aim at building a healthier generation through prevention, education, and inclusive-care.

Analogue Intelligence: A portrait of the Glasgow School of Art through its waste.

Gareth Donaldson, Winner Sustainability Degree Show Prize 2024

I began this project by exploring waste streams in and around Glasgow in the hope of finding usable waste materials which would uncover design opportunities. My focus was to address issues of unnecessary waste and mass consumption with an aim to reshape the public perception of waste. The project challenges planetary degradation, planned obsolescence and materiality, with the purpose of contributing to circular design thinking.

By conducting primary research in the Southside of Glasgow, I hoped to gain an insight into my project direction. Interviewing people from industry as well as community interest groups I looked to shed light on waste production and consumption. I discovered that all of the community focused groups already considered their waste streams and understood the importance of mutually-beneficial relationships. As for the manufacturers and wholesalers, they didn’t seem interested in talking with me. I realised that Glasgow’s waste was too big a problem to tackle, so I decided to focus on more local waste streams.

Through the conversations around circularity and symbiosis in a real-world setting, I switched my focus to tackling the waste streams within the art school - specifically the workshops. I interviewed TSD staff to find out how waste is dealt with.

The only requirements from GSA are that general waste, paper recycling and some specialist waste must be disposed of correctly. On top of this, workshops do everything within their means to pass waste onto the relevant waste management specialists, although the outcome of said waste is unknown. Additionally, students require virgin materials because of their accessibility of use, time and cost. ‘Waste’ materials require extra work and are harder to use. Moreover, students aren’t really aware of what free materials are available.

I saw an opportunity to design a system for the art school, which connects usable waste streams between workshops and students. I also designed a series of artefacts to demonstrate how waste materials could be utilised for projects and to provide a social commentary on the pay-to-win mentality at GSA.

It was paramount that I set out parameters for myself to ensure I upheld my own beliefs and didn’t perpetuate the problem, these were: no cost, GSA specific, no monstrous hybrids and minimal machining.

As well as providing a culture for using waste, my project was intended to be a fully circular making methodology. I ensured that I demonstrated product impermanence and material reconstitution by showcasing artefacts broken down into their materials, in hopes of illustrating a circular design ethos in my making.

I named my project analogue intelligence. The project is about the value of play and tacit knowledge, which is antithetical to artificial intelligence - this antithesis inspired my redefinition of AI. The collective knowledge and the very human experience interwoven into the fabric of this project was something I did not want to shy away from.

Analogue intelligence is a culture of circular making at the GSA. The system takes the form of a booklet and waste map which highlight the opportunities for resource sharing: encouraging discussion about product impermanence and material accountability. Each artefact I designed symbolises a facet of the GSA. I made an art piece, a lamp and a workshop stool, all from waste sourced within the art school. The three artefacts represent the art, design and workshop departments and signify beauty and abundance in waste. My parameters guided the design of all elements of this project, waste materials cost nothing and I ensured that I made everything by hand, without creating monstrous hybrids.

Analogue intelligence is also a yearly exhibition held in the Reid void space, showcasing artefacts made from waste that prioritise play and creativity. The exhibition is concluded in a dismantling ceremony where participants de-construct their work and return materials to the waste hubs.

Upon returning to the stakeholders of the project, they all noted the invaluable service it offers and could see it being a part of GSA’s legacy, so much so that they offered me the opportunity to take the project to completion. It is something John Ayers said was “in the works to be done within the next year”. Perhaps this project lives on in the form of a new role within the GSA - a sort of circular maker and student advisor, educating through play, making and waste consciousness - one that tows the line between the technical support and sustainability departments. This is a role I would love to take on myself should the opportunity arise.

In closing, this project has been an invaluable learning experience. Not only is it a topic which has long interested me, but one that I’ve come to appreciate so much more. I have realised there is so much nuance in waste that I had not previously known. Aspects such as the value of play are often forgotten in the formulaic setting of academia. This project can highlight their importance and impact how design is taught. I have always been told: let the design guide the material choices. Maybe, this is not always the answer. Perhaps the materials available to us and in abundance, including waste materials, should be guiding our future designs.

In an ideal world, this project could become a framework that is implemented into other art schools or even further its legacy into the wider realm of creative practice.

Link to project

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