The factory is oriented to follow
the movement of the sun from east to west, ensuring maximal daylight and
limiting the need for artificial light. The weight bearing construction
(inside height 43 ft) consists solely of laminated European pine
rafters treated with borax salts to increase fire resistance. Pine is
a soft type of wood, but the technique of gluing it together under
pressure gives the structure a strength and load bearing capacity that
can normally only be achieved with harder, slow-growing timber.
The
outside walls and inside partitions consist of masonry built with a
separate type of brick, the Poro+, made from a mixture of clay, wood
pulp and coal fines. The baking of this stone requires less energy and
the outcome is a light, porous material with good thermal insulation.
The stone nevertheless needs a protective coating, in our case a
rendering of trass lime mixed with straw.
The flooring is made
of concrete, which was necessary in view of heavy round-the-clock
internal transport with forklift trucks carrying away all the finished
products and delivering materials and packaging to the appropriate area
in the factory. In 2004, approximately 21,000 tons of goods were
produced in the factory. If we consider all the transport movements, we
can assume that the total load transported internally amounted to
approximately 60,000 tons.
The roof is a green roof, built from
a layer of sealant, an insulation layer of mineral perlite and an
external layer which is a substrate with plant cover comprising various
types of Sedum. Sedum is a type of plant that used to grow on most
roofs (it used to be called 'Thunder beard') that is capable of
surviving prolonged periods of drought or great heat. This makes it
ideal for a roof.
Overall, the roof provides excellent thermal
and acoustic insulation in all seasons. In the factory, which is without
general heating or air conditioning, the temperature never drops below
39°F and never rises above 79°F.
In the winter, any heating required in the factory is supplied locally by reflector heaters powered by natural gas.