Wineries have been drawing in crowds for many years, giving them a taste some of the finer things in life. But, what most people do not realize is the sheer amount of work that goes into maintaining a winery.
Winery Building Design Tips
But, it is not just maintaining a winery that is a lot of work. One of the hardest parts may be the winery building design. This is because, unlike other types of structures and facilities, wineries have specific needs that need to be met by the architectural design of the building. Here are some winery building must-haves to keep in mind when designing the perfect winery.
1. A Well Thought Out Layout
The most critical part of winery design is having the right layout. A winery should be designed with the wine-making process in mind. It would not make sense to crush and press the freshly harvested grapes next to the bottling station.
By ensuring the layout of the winery makes sense, it will allow work to flow smoothly, and workers will not have to waste time going back-and-forth between the various sections. This will also ensure that no steps are accidentally missed, which could ruin a batch and end up financially hurting the winery.
2. Use Quality Insulation
For wineries, maintaining specific temperatures within the facility is critical to the wine-making process. If temperatures continuously fluctuate, it can hinder the making and fermentation of wines. Or worse, it can completely destroy a batch of wine.
Beyond that, without high-quality insulation, wineries will end up paying more in heating and cooling costs, which just adds to the overall cost of running a winery.
So, while it goes unseen, exterior wall insulation is another essential must-have for any wine building design. Wineries should consider their insulation options and needs and choose a high-quality option that will keep the winery well-insulated and prevent temperature changes from occurring.
3. Choose the Right Flooring
Flooring is often overlooked in every sector, but that does not mean it is not important. In fact, choosing the right flooring is a critical part of wine building design. Flooring in facilities like wineries needs to be incredibly durable and able to withstand the day-to-day wear-and-tear it will face.
Wineries need floors that are able to withstand varying temperatures within the winery, and should also be made using a non-porous, antimicrobial material. This will help to create a more sanitary floor and overall environment in the winery.
The floors should also offer corrosion and moisture resistance to help them to last longer. In addition, the floors of a winery should be durable enough to not break or crack under the heavy weight of wine-making equipment. Finally, floors should also be easy for workers to clean and maintain on a regular basis.
4. Install a Slot Drain System
A floor drainage system is a critical part of a winery, but not just any drainage system will do. Wineries should choose the best system they possibly can. A great option is the Slot Drain System.
Slot Drain is a newer form of trench drain that has some significant differences. One of the biggest things that set Slot Drain apart from its competition is that their drainage system is grateless. This means the drain channel is slim enough that a grate covering is not needed to prevent larger objects from falling into the channel, or from having people trip.
Another unique feature that Slot Drain offers is that the system comes both pre-sloped and pre-assembled, which helps to make a new installation and even retrofitting an easy job—so easy, in fact, that it can be done by two employees in a short amount of time.
Slot Drain is also made using food-grade stainless steel, which is FDA and USDA approved for food and beverage facilities. The fact that it can handle up to Class F loads is another excellent feature that makes the Slot Drain System such an excellent option for wineries.
There is a lot of planning required when it comes to wine building design. While a beautiful winery is important, the items above are non-negotiable must-haves for any good winery. Therefore, it is critical that a team of reliable designers and architects is put together to ensure the new winery design is not only beautiful but practical as well.
Doing so early on will help to ensure the winery will look and function as well as it possibly can. It will even help the winery to save money over time, especially when it comes to things such as good insulation, proper flooring, and the right kind of drainage system, as once those are done right, they will last for years to come without any issue.
