Australian architects design high-rise factory in China

Monday, 10 October, 2011


Melbourne architects CK Designworks have designed a cutting-edge, 24-storey industrial and commercial building in Nanjing, China. Robert Caulfield, partner in charge of the project, said that the building would set new levels of sustainability and environmental conservation for industrial buildings and could set the scene for similar buildings in other parts of the world, particularly where land is at a premium.

“This project is part of a 20 sq km master plan we are undertaking in the industrial region of Nanjing and has a number of innovative features which will make this one of the most advanced projects of its type anywhere in the world.”

The project has a building footprint of 18,400 sq m and a gross floor area of 111,700 sq m, making a huge saving in its surface footprint and enabling the creation of significant landscaping and lakeside areas adjacent to the building. The industrial floors have 6 m high ceilings, reinforced acoustic floors and a range of sustainability features such as heat recovery from industrial processes, natural ventilation, solar-assisted heating and a cooling system utilising treated waste water fed into a feature lake.

“Buildings of this type are suitable for a wide range of manufacturing, particularly small mass-produced electronics and whitegoods items. We have included a showroom, conference rooms, staff amenities and a restaurant on the ground floor. The top 12 floors are office floors for administration and research purposes.”

The building will have centralised materials loading and dispatch areas shared by the tenants and the manufacturing floors are serviced by goods lifts capable of carrying small containers and forklift vehicles.

Caulfield said that buildings of this type are particularly suited to areas where land is at a premium but are also relevant where there is a need for manufacturing processes to be close to ports or road and rail hubs.

The building is part of CK Designworks’ master plan for the area which is scheduled for completion in 2024.

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