Located adjacent to Glanbia’s new corporate headquarters, the 14,000 sf Cheese Innovation Center houses some of the most advanced equipment in the industry. The purpose of the innovation center is to bring industry experts and consumers together to develop and market new products. A small, yet fully equipped production center allows testing prior to scaling up for consumer production.
In keeping with Glanbia’s corporate identity and emphasis on high quality environments for its employees, the facility is very energy efficient and uses interior glass walls to open up lab space and convey natural light.
The one-story CLC is constructed of a steel structural frame with brick veneer pilasters, storefront windows and metal panel accents. The massing and materials selection for the building were influenced by the project’s location in the City of Twin Falls’ Historic Warehouse District and include steel canopies and striated brick colors to provide texture and movement to each facade.
The facility includes milk processing facilities, state-of-the-art culinary lab and analytical lab, offices, conference room, a test kitchen and an area for sensory evaluation of products. Design meets both USDA and FM Global standards including many specialty finishes and epoxies to maintain sterile environments.
Engineering Notes
Both HVAC and waste removal systems are far more robust in the CLC than typical commercial construction. Hood exhaust was provided throughout the labs and a strong waste tank was required to provide preliminary conditioning of waste fluids.
The strong waste tank holds waste water from sanitized cleaning of the lab spaces. Stainless steel pumps and monitoring systems measure temperature and pH so operators can adjust the pH or allow the fluids to cool before discharging to the municipal wastewater.
