Usually, companies don’t address the architectural design and layout of their food processing plants. However, such facility design demands a forward-thinking approach i.e. anticipating industry evolution, understanding the impact of consumer trends on production, and addressing future concerns and challenges.
Gaining insight into these aspects is crucial for developing a cost-effective design that remains relevant for decades. Here, we have identified seven key areas we believe will exert a significant influence on the future of food and beverage facility design.
- Safe spaces that can be easily cleaned
Ensuring safe and easily cleanable spaces to guard against cross-contamination remains a paramount concern for manufacturers, whether they are retrofitting existing facilities or constructing new ones.
The sustained prevalence of fresh food will heighten competition as companies refine their emphasis on distinguishing between ready-to-eat and raw offerings.
- Easy walkthroughs
Ease of navigation for visitors and walkthroughs is crucial. Food processing plants frequently modify product lines, changing vendors and suppliers while also extending invitations for potential investors to tour the facilities. Touring protocols have long been established, but recently, new facilities are incorporating distinct touring channels. The pandemic has only emphasized the importance for protection through physical separation.
- Sustainability
Moving beyond mere rhetoric, sustainability has evolved into a significant factor driving revenue and viability. Consumers now consider sustainability a key purchasing criterion, favoring retailers whose suppliers actively pursue transparent and ambitious goals to reduce a plant’s carbon footprint.
- Flexibility w.r.t modular designs
Embracing modular designs underscores the necessity for flexibility, a concept exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturers across various industries have found themselves compelled to “pivot,” whether adjusting production lines on the fly, adapting to supply chain disruptions, or operating with reduced staff.
- Utilizing automation and technology to resolve challenges
Addressing challenges through automation and technology comes with its advantages. While automation may demand less square footage in a food processing plant, it can be more expensive due to the associated technology and equipment costs.
Strategic and forward-thinking architectural design for food processing plants is imperative for long-term relevance. Key considerations include safe and easily maintainable spaces, adapting to fresh food competition, visitor-friendly walkthroughs, sustainable practices, modular design flexibility, and leveraging automation and technology to overcome challenges, all crucial for sustained industry evolution.
Stendel + Reich food plant architects excel in developing state-of-the-art designs, integrating efficiency and hygiene, to elevate food processing facilities to new standards of functionality and aesthetics.