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French Agristo project is complex due to its scale and the overlap between design and execution

Agristo, the leading global player in the production of potato-based products, is expanding with a new factory in northern France. This is a megaproject being delivered by several contractors and engineering firms. Skald is working on the main production building, commissioned by ALB France. The overlap between the design and construction phases, combined with the large number of suppliers involved, results in a highly complex coordination effort.

The design and overall layout of the factory were developed by Aconstruct and Vector, Agristo’s in-house architect. The production site in Wielsbeke served as a major source of inspiration. Aconstruct, together with ALB France (the French branch of Alheembouw), set up the temporary joint venture 2A. For the actual construction works, however, the project was divided: ALB France is responsible for everything related to the production process, while Aconstruct is in charge of the remaining buildings.

 

 

Skald is responsible for the structural design and coordination of the ALB France scope. Vector and Aconstruct prepared the overall master plan. In France, during the construction phase the role of the designer shifts to the contractor’s engineering office. Our challenge therefore was, and still is, to further develop the project based on the overall layout and within the framework of the building permit. This includes the translation into detailed execution drawings for foundations and structural works, as well as façades and roofs, interior finishing, sewerage, carpentry, and more. The design integrates requirements for the production process with building services such as smoke extraction, climate control, cooling and deep-freeze installations, and similar systems. Because Escaudœuvres is located in a seismic zone, the buildings must be designed to withstand earthquakes - an area in which we have already gained substantial experience through previous projects.

While Skald is responsible for coordinating both design and execution, we rely on our sister company Evolv for the detailed structural engineering studies, ensuring that all calculations are technically sound and accurate.

 

 

Overlapping process steps

Due to the scale of the project and the tight schedule, construction started while the design was still very much ongoing. This means that construction starts with the foundations, after which the main concrete structure is built. All elements that have a major impact on this structure – such as provisions for key building services, large doors and openings – were already incorporated in the initial design phase. In subsequent phases, however, many additional smaller steel structures and openings for secondary equipment still had to be added. As a result, it is not possible to finalise all execution drawings before construction begins. Design and construction therefore proceed in parallel, which requires not only a high degree of flexibility but also continuous coordination with the client and the other project partners.

 

 

Complex coordination

On the design side of the project, a wide range of requirements are brought to the table – both internally, from the client Agristo, and externally, by specialist engineering firms responsible for systems such as climate control, smoke extraction and similar disciplines. We bring these different pieces of the puzzle together in a logical way and integrate them into a central 3D model, which serves as the single source of information for all construction partners. This model is updated almost daily.

At the same time, contractors on the execution side require concrete execution drawings in order to start or continue construction works. We carefully manage the balance between releasing what can already be built and retaining further detailing for later stages in the process. In doing so, Skald is responsible not only for design coordination, but also for delivering execution drawings to the contractors in a timely manner.

 

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