Upon receiving our insights, Idilia gave us the green light to begin the basic planning of a new factory on the Cola Cao site. We began by conducting a logistics study, then created process graphs to illustrate what Nocilla’s production lines should look like, using our expertise in logistics and supply chain to determine the layout of the new facilities and how product should move within the space. We would later task our architectural business unit, Arquid, with developing a design for the facilities in alignment with the customer’s requests and, in this case, with Barcelona municipal requirements, as well as acquire all necessary permits. Because Arquid employs our methodology and works seamlessly with all of the IPS project managers, everyone on the team can adapt to changes and remain on-target with remarkable ease. And the firm’s design insights bring a welcome new perspective—and considerable added value—to any job.

By way of the logistics study, we discovered that the facilities required far less space than Idilia had originally planned for—in fact, less than half of the projected area was ultimately needed. Thanks to our experience and our ongoing relationship with the chocolate producers, we were able to advise the company on key decisions such as these, rather than simply oversee the planning and construction process. Our customer entered into the project with full trust in IPS, and positive rapport between the client and our team helped to promote fluid and productive communication throughout the planning and realization processes.

The existing Cola Cao building was constructed with conventional industrial materials and built entirely without windows. Because new additions had been tacked on over time, its overall design was largely disjointed with no uniting aesthetic. Its façade was layered horizontally with cream-colored sandwich panels inspired by the Cola Cao brand.

By contrast, we opted to construct the new facilities exclusively with customized materials specifically chosen for their benefits for food and beverage production. The concrete panels the Arquid team selected provide reliable insulation, fire and environmental resistance, and durability against mechanical processes, and they also allowed for faster construction with no need for substructures.

Arquid then helped the team devise floor plans for the site that would best serve the day-to-day production line. In the new building, they created space for a raw material warehouse, a production area with a maintenance workshop and cleaning zones, a packaging line, and a packaging warehouse. The second building would serve as the final product warehouse, linked to branded offices and a visitor’s center. We were also able to plan an effective traffic flow for trucks on the property, even with the added challenge of working around an existing warehouse and traffic pattern.

Both the façade and the interior of the new facilities would directly serve the functioning of the factory. Notably, the new building’s higher-than-average ceilings would accommodate vertical processes key to quality chocolate manufacturing. While most manufacturing plants function with 10-meter-high ceilings, Idilia required 15 meters to work with, and in one particular location, a full 19 meters was needed.