Last updated: May 2025
The Meama Coffee Factory incorporates ecological elements and functionality with architectural design to create a visually striking building. By doing so, the developers respond to requirements set by the city of Tbilisi for a factory that blends into the peri-urban landscape while avoiding the typical industrial appearance. This requirement corresponds to the architect's values of creating a sustainable and durable structure, implemented through multiple measures (Ref. 1,2). Firstly, a 3,680 square meter green roof has been installed, fully covered with local wild grasses and plants (Ref. 1). This green roof serves multiple purposes: it acts as a thermal barrier, reducing the need for additional roof insulation, mitigates noise pollution from the nearby airport and serves as a recreational and meeting area for visitors and employees (Ref. 1,2,3,4). The factory area also features a pine forest to its backside as well as multiple inside atriums covered in greenery (Ref. 2,3). Lastly, building materials and installation methods have been selected to ensure the durability of the project, such as roofing membranes that withstand root penetration as well as reinforced concrete structures that are waterproofed and protected against corrosion (Ref. 4&5)
Green Roof of the Meama Coffee Factory
Khmaladze Architects (https://giorgikhmaladze.com/projects/Coffee_Production_Plant_Meama)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature in buildings (indoor)
- Atriums/Courtyards
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Noise reduction
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: industry
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Other
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of green roofs and walls
Project objectives
1) Create a strong visual corporate Identity through a unique architectural design. (Ref. 1,2,3,4)
2) Integrate into the landscape aesthetics through its architecture and green roof design. (Ref. 1,2,3,4)
3) Conscious material selection intended to promote sustainability and durability (Ref. 1,2,4,5)
4) Creation of functional, adaptable and open spaces for multiple uses (recreation, socializing) and target groups (factory workers, visitors) (1,2,4)
5) Mitigate noise pollution from the nearby airport (2,3,4)
6) Enhance thermal insulation for energy efficiency. (1,2,3,4)
Implementation activities
1) Creating green space by constructing a green roof with an area of 3,680 square meters in addition to inside greenery (3 atriums installed) and a "backyard" pine forest. (Ref. 1,2,3,4)
2) Species selection for the roof according to the surrounding environment i.e. wild grasses to better fit the landscape aesthetics. This practice also helps to mitigate noise pollution from the outside and insulate the building. (Ref. 1,2,3,4)
3) The use of durable and sustainable materials by installation of roofing membranes, known for their durability and root penetration resistance as well as reinforced concrete structures that are waterproofed and protected against corrosion. (Ref. 4,5)
4) The building includes several planted lightwells, skylights, and atriums to bring natural light into the interior spaces (Ref. 1,2,4)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
- The project didn't involve any form of stakeholder participatory activities
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Collaborators:
Capiteli (Structure), Cubicon (Structural elements), Casa Calda (MEP), Lightstudio (Lighting), Unix Development (Developer), Khmaladze Architects (Design) (Ref.1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Given the prominent location, the city required a building that would escape the regular factory appearance - Urban building regulation (Ref.1))
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Loan
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Achieved reduced noise exposure
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Achieved increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Other
Economic impacts
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
- Expected reduce financial cost for urban management
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Khmaladze, G. (n.d.). Coffee Production Plant - Meama. Tbisili: Khmaladze Architects, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
2.
ELEVATE (n.d.). Futuristic Factory Embedded in Green Landscape. Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
3.
urbanNext (n.d.). Coffee Production Plant: Vast Green Roof. Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
4.
archello (n.d.). Meama Coffe Factory. Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Penetron (n.d.). Tbilisi’s MEAMA Coffee Factory Waterproofed by Penetron. Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
6.
EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line (n.d.). Putting Georgia on the Coffee Map. EBRD, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
Structural Design of the Meama Coffee Factory
Khmaladze Architects (https://giorgikhmaladze.com/projects/Coffee_Production_Plant_Meama)
Interior Design of the Meama Factory
Khmaladze Architects (https://giorgikhmaladze.com/projects/Coffee_Production_Plant_Meama)
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.