These views depict a modular tea factory here in the Nilgiris. The clients required something compact and functional for the production of their specialty teas, sourced from tea gardens around the locale. The tea made here finds its way to various buyers across the globe. These buyers have been regulars over decades now and the clients maintain a strong relationship meeting them personally as often as once a year. Hence this factory was meant to be symbolic of the bond that the makers and the buyers share over a cuppa tea.
The factory itself is divided into two parts – the workspace and a single disjoint module which houses the office space upstairs. The entry into the building is from beneath the office space. The steel framed structure forms a sort of an entrance portal from where one could go upstairs into the office or access the workspace. One can also access the workspace from the office through the means of an elevated walkway and oversee the entire manufacturing process.
There is a large north facing skylight running the entire span of the workspace bringing in a large amount of light into the workspace. Flaps on either side of the workspace allows a good amount of cross ventilation. An exit vent is present higher up in the volume enabling a stack like effect on a warm day. The vents are all covered with fine mild steel mesh which allows permeability but keeps the area secure. The modular steel structure can be repeated in the event of a future expansion and also enables quick and facile fabrication; keeping costs low.
flint&tinder 