EcoFood @ Mandai
Floor Plan and Layout Advantages

1. Only 7 Units Per Floor

• Reduced Congestion: With only seven units per floor, the layout minimizes overcrowding and competition for shared resources like lifts, ramps, and common areas. This sparsity allows for smoother workflows, reducing delays during peak operational hours. 
• Enhanced Privacy: It also provides a degree of privacy and exclusivity, which is valuable for businesses handling proprietary recipes or processes. Fewer neighbors mean less noise and interference, fostering a focused working environment ideal for food production.
• Operational Efficiency A limited number of units per floor ensures that vehicular and foot traffic remain manageable, especially in a ramp-up design where trucks access upper levels. This can lead to faster turnaround times for deliveries and collections, a critical factor in the time-sensitive food industry.
• Reduced Competition for Common Areas: Less congestion in corridors, lifts, and loading bays ensures smoother operations.

2. Loading and Unloading at Doorstep

• Streamlined Logistics: Having loading and unloading facilities directly at each unit’s doorstep eliminates the need to transport goods across long distances within the building.
• Faster Turnaround: This reduces handling time, lowers labor costs, and minimizes the risk of damage or contamination to food products. It’s particularly beneficial for perishable goods, ensuring they move swiftly from delivery vehicles to storage or processing areas.
• Flexibility and Convenience Doorstep access accommodates various vehicle sizes, allowing businesses to scale operations without logistical bottlenecks.

3. Toilet in Each Unit

• Hygiene and Convenience: A dedicated toilet within each unit enhances hygiene standards, a top priority in food production. Workers don’t need to leave the unit to use shared facilities, reducing the risk of cross-contamination between units or from common areas.
• Regulatory Compliance: Meets workplace safety and health standards by providing essential facilities for workers.
• Employee Productivity On-site toilets save time and maintain workflow continuity, as staff can remain within the production area. This is especially useful during busy shifts, ensuring operational efficiency isn’t compromised by basic needs.

4. High Ceiling Height

• Optimized Space Utilization: A 5.6-meter floor-to-ceiling height across most floors provides ample vertical space for tall equipment (e.g., industrial mixers, ovens, or cold storage units) and allows for mezzanine levels or shelving to maximize storage. This vertical flexibility is a significant advantage for businesses needing to scale production or inventory without expanding their footprint.
• Enhanced Flexibility on the 10th Floor with 6.975 m:  The increased height of 6.975 meters on the 10th floor offers even greater potential for customization. Businesses can install higher shelving, stack goods more efficiently, or create additional storage platforms, effectively doubling capacity in that unit. This is ideal for operations requiring extensive dry storage, packaging materials, or even small-scale vertical farming setups, aligning with Singapore’s push for innovative food production under its "30 by 30" food security goal.
• Cost Efficiency The ability to add storage without acquiring more floor space reduces long-term costs, making it a smart investment for businesses anticipating growth or seasonal demand spikes.

5. Ramp-Up Design

• Seamless Vehicular Access: A ramp-up structure allows trucks to drive directly to each floor, bringing supplies right to the unit’s doorstep. This eliminates the need for cargo lifts, which can be slow and prone to breakdowns, ensuring uninterrupted operations. In a food factory context, this is invaluable for handling heavy loads like raw ingredients or finished products efficiently.
• Scalability and Future-Proofing: The ramp-up design supports businesses as they grow, accommodating larger vehicles and higher delivery volumes. It also future-proofs the facility against evolving logistics needs, such as increased reliance on automation or larger transport fleets, which is critical in Singapore’s rapidly advancing industrial landscape.
• Time and Energy Savings: Direct access reduces fuel consumption and labor effort compared to traditional multi-story buildings reliant on lifts or ground-level loading. This efficiency translates to lower operational costs and a smaller environmental footprint, appealing to eco-conscious businesses.