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FORMOSA NEWS - Dolat Rayat - Dolat Rakyat Subdistrict in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, is widely recognized as a horticultural hub producing an abundance of fresh fruits, including Berastagi oranges, passion fruit, avocados, and mangoes. However, persistent limitations in post-harvest infrastructure have long left local farmers vulnerable to volatile price fluctuations and high rates of crop spoilage.

To address this pressing issue, a research team from Universitas Quality Berastagi, led by Hosea Tarigan alongside Dasrijal and Ferdinand Sinuhaji, formulated an innovative architectural design concept for an integrated Fruit Processing Center in June 2026. Published in the Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR), this study is highly significant as it provides a modern infrastructure blueprint capable of reducing post-harvest losses while boosting the commercial value of local commodities through food product downstreaming.

Post-Harvest Challenges in the Karo Highlands

Geographically, Dolat Rakyat Subdistrict sits in a highland region with a cool macro-climate, making it ideal for cultivating tropical and subtropical fruits. Despite abundant annual harvest volumes, farmers' economic welfare is frequently disrupted during peak harvest seasons. This stems from a heavy reliance on conventional trading patterns, where produce is distributed strictly as raw, fresh fruits without any value-added processing interventions.

When the market becomes saturated, prices plummet drastically. This situation is further exacerbated by the total absence of proper post-harvest infrastructure, such as cold storage facilities and downstream processing units at the subdistrict level. As a result, a significant percentage of fruits suffer physical quality degradation or complete rotting, directly slashing the potential income of local farming communities.

Responsive Design Methodology and Cross-Regional Precedent Studies

To formulate an ideal facility design, Hosea Tarigan and his team applied a systematic descriptive-analytical research methodology. The process began by identifying field-specific post-harvest problems and mapping out the site's horticultural potential. Primary data collection was conducted through physical site observations and direct interviews with local fruit farming groups. This data was then synthesized with strict regulations from the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) and standard architectural metrics.

To sharpen the design parameters, the researchers conducted a comparative analysis of three similar facilities operating successfully across different regions:

  1. Agro Processing Center in Batu (East Java): Excelled in a compact linear layout that optimizes manufacturing circulation and natural ventilation native to mountain climates.
  2. Fruit Processing & Training Center in Chiang Mai (Thailand): Featured a strict separation between sterile manufacturing zones and educational training areas, alongside passive shading devices and rooftop solar panels.
  3. Fruit Processing UMKM Center in Berastagi: Successfully integrated small-scale industrial empowerment with the stylized adoption of traditional Karo architecture.

Based on these comparisons, the team from Universitas Quality Berastagi formulated an integrated facility concept that blends the functional efficiency of a modern factory with visual sensitivity toward the pristine rural landscape of Karo.

A Linear Workflow to Guarantee Food Safety

One of the primary breakthroughs in this design concept is the implementation of an interior layout based on a strict straight-line flow system within the main building, situated on a site measuring approximately 7,810 square meters. This layout is strictly configured to prevent backtracking of materials. Consequently, the risk of cross-contamination between incoming raw materials and sterile, ready-to-consume processed products is reduced to zero.

According to the engineered blueprint, the workflow transitions seamlessly through the following sequential stages:

  • Raw Material Unloading Dock: The initial receiving area for fresh fruits straight from the farms.
  • Transit Warehouse & Raw Material Cold Storage: Low-temperature storage to preserve fruit freshness prior to processing.
  • Sorting & Quality Grading Room: A dedicated space for sorting fruits based on physical quality standards.
  • Automatic Washing Room: The initial sanitation stage utilizing hygienic washing technologies.
  • Mechanical Cutting & Peeling Room: Fruit preparation stage using modern automated machinery.
  • Core Processing Room: The manufacturing heart for downstream products such as fruit juice, jams, or fruit chips.
  • Sterilization / Pasteurization Room: A crucial step to ensure all products are entirely free from harmful microorganisms.
  • Vacuum Packaging & Labeling Room: Airtight packaging designed to significantly extend shelf life for commercial retail.
  • Finished Goods Warehouse & Logistics Distribution: The final storage area before products are dispatched to retail networks or export markets.

To strictly comply with BPOM food safety regulations, human access within the building is completely segregated. Factory workers operate entirely on the sterile production floor, while general visitors and researchers looking to observe operations are directed to an upper corridor (a mezzanine viewing gallery) enclosed by solid glass panels.

Harmony Between Industrial Architecture and Karo Cultural Identity

Beyond its industrial functionality, the facility is designed to be highly climate-responsive and contextually grounded. The primary structure utilizes a rigid steel frame with wide spans, providing maximum flexibility for processing machinery layouts without the obstruction of interior columns.

Fascinatingly, the research team adapted the steep geometry of traditional Karo residential roofs, featuring extreme roof heights ranging from 7 to 9 meters. This structural transformation is not merely for visual aesthetics; it acts as a passive thermal engineering system. The high ceiling functions as a heat trap, channeling warm air upward and out through continuous ventilation louvres at the roof ridge via a natural chimney effect. Combined with cross-ventilation techniques, the building effortlessly maintains a cool internal temperature without relying on energy-intensive mechanical air conditioning.

On the exterior, the building's facade is fitted with a secondary skin made from durable woven bamboo or vertically arranged local timber slats. This component reduces direct solar radiation while preserving the distinct visual language of the highland Karo countryside. For the production interior, a 3 mm thick anti-slip resin epoxy floor coating with curved wall-to-floor junctions (coving) is specified to prevent bacterial buildup and facilitate routine sanitation.

Tangible Impact on the Community and Local Economy

The Fruit Processing Center is envisioned not merely as a commercial factory, but as an integrated master plan divided into four distinct privacy clusters to ensure seamless operations:

  1. Public Zone: Accommodates visitor parking, a commercial showroom for processed goods, and a fruit cafe at the front of the site bordering the main road.
  2. Semi-Public Zone: Houses an agroindustrial educational gallery, seminar rooms, and a small-scale quality control laboratory accessible to visiting industry groups and academics.
  3. Private Zone (Industrial): A highly sterile core area housing the manufacturing plant, loading docks, and cold storage facilities.
  4. Service and Utility Zone: Positioned in isolation at the rear corner to manage the Wastewater Treatment Plant (IPAL), generator rooms, and solid organic waste, effectively minimizing visual and odor disturbances.

Through this integration of production, education, and commerce, local residents will not only benefit from direct job creation but will also gain autonomous access to modern food technology knowledge.

"The implementation of a linear site layout and zoning effectively organizes heavy logistics traffic, sterile worker flows, and educational visitor paths without causing any risk of cross-contamination," Hosea Tarigan and the Universitas Quality Berastagi research team stated in their scientific report. They emphasized that this integrated architectural paradigm is expected to serve as a model reference for modern agroindustrial facilities across Indonesia's highlands, ultimately reinforcing rural economies through high-value horticultural commodities.

Author Profiles

  • Hosea Tarigan, S.Ars. – Lead researcher from Universitas Quality Berastagi, specializing in Industrial Architecture, post-harvest food facility design, and linear industrial layouts.
  • Dasrijal, S.T., M.T. – Lecturer and researcher at Universitas Quality Berastagi, with expertise in Contextual Architecture, site engineering, and sustainable construction management.
  • Ferdinand Sinuhaji, S.T., M.T. – Academic at Universitas Quality Berastagi, specializing in building utility systems, communal space design, and traditional Karo architectural typologies.

Research Sources