SOLI ORGANIC CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE BUILDING
San Antonio
Award of Merit
Submitted by: Joeris General Contractors
OWNER Soli Organic
LEAD DESIGN FIRM Lamar Johnson Collaborative
GENERAL CONTRACTOR Joeris General Contractors
CIVIL ENGINEER Pape-Dawson Engineers
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER BSE Structural Engineers
MEP ENGINEER National Design Build Services
This 140,000-sq-ft industrial tilt-up concrete building serves as a high-tech, automated indoor farm—currently the largest in the nation. Situated on an 18-acre site within the Brooks City Base development, the facility is designed to meet USDA and Certified Organic criteria, housing operations for planting, cultivating, harvesting and packaging organic herbs under one roof.
Midway through construction, the owner switched to a new LED manufacturer, requiring a change in electrical equipment. With more than 18,000 LED lights in just one room, the update required extra planning to ensure accurate installation. Meanwhile, limited access to proprietary information meant the team often didn’t know what would be placed in spaces being constructed. Regular updates and collaborative problem-solving bridged the scope gaps.
Elevated steel in the facility resulted in some tight, confined spaces. The contractor built specialized working platforms to allow crews to work safely on this portion of the project. This proactive measure minimized the risk of falls and injuries associated with working at heights.
An advanced water reclamation system is designed to recycle and conserve water, significantly reducing the facility’s environmental footprint. In addition, robots procured from an auto manufacturer transfer produce between different rooms at various stages of the growing process, increasing efficiency, productivity and…
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Read More: Energy/Industrial, Merit – Soli Organic Controlled Environment Agricultural
