The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Gold-rated India headquarters of JCB involved brownfield development in Phase-I and greenfield in Phase-II. The assembly plant and India headquarters of JCB India Limited is located at Ballabhgarh, Haryana. The Architects had been involved in this brownfield facility on two occasions –first in 2006, and again in 2019 for a second, major expansion that included a massive build-up of its production facilities, including the logistics utility and administration buildings. The LEED Gold-rated building project comprises an assembly block, pre-delivery inspection (PDI), inspection and finishing sheds, a utility block, an XP shed, an IPC building and an administration building. The new fabrication and assembly blocks, along with the new administrative headquarters of JCB were designed as composite PEB with steel and concrete construction. With JCB-manufactured engines undergoing tests to comply with international norms such as pollution, emission, etc. A separate testing facility or ‘Test Cells’ was designed with test labs located on its ground floor, accommodating control labs and offices on the upper floors. For the first time in JCB, the concept of movement of equipment through the ceiling with the help of conveyer belts was proposed. Different components were picked up by robotic means from the fabrication facility, and with the help of conveyer belts, these were taken first to the paint shop and then to the assembly line where the finished product was manufactured. This helped in making the aisles free for circulation. The PEB roof had to be specially designed due to the increased hung load. By anticipating the cycle of production for the next ten years, its capacity was designed to support a load of 225 kg/sq.m. A combination of pre-coated, insulated metal sheeting with strip glazing provides for a seamless monochromatic façade incorporating the corporate colours of JCB–moor green and canary yellow. While the production facilities incorporate large steel spans of up to 40 metres, the administration building also has a column-free span of 30 metres allowing complete flexibility in office layouts.