Kwench Plant
Industrial Architecture
Kwench Plant is a packaged drinking water plant at the banks of the Ulhas river in Karjat. Yakshshri Beverages commissioned us to create a state of the art plant, but within a limited budget.
Our Solution
We at The ArchBOX Studio achieved a project cost-saving of up to 50%, and execution timelines were reduced from months to weeks by adopting PEB (Pre-engineered building) construction design for the plant. Industrial buildings are otherwise purely functional spaces. However, we equally focused on the aesthetic value of the plant.
Reduced Operational Costs
Since the budget did not permit us the use of an HVAC system, passive solar architecture became the basis of our design. The plant was oriented using solar & wind study to reduce heat gain and maximize cross ventilation.
Along the East & West sides are full-length louvers at the top to facilitate the removal of hot air. Also, the skylight area is optimized to maximize light while minimizing heat gain. Furthermore, the use of Low-E glass along the East & West sides reduces heat gain from openings.
Optimized Value Engineering
As the plant design uses Galvalume sheets, the thermal insulation cost can be a considerable part of the budget. Hence to optimize this, we conducted a thermal analysis, and based on the results, insulation was provided only under the roof. Thus, a further saving of 30% was achieved against the use of PUF Panels in the project.
We Care
Groundwater is the source of water for this package drinking water plant. Hence, Galvalume sheets with Lead-Free paint were selected to avoid contamination of groundwater during rainfall-runoff. Also, as a part of the sustainable initiative, Kwench plant has a rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment plant installed.
