Roofing Membrane at Meama Coffee Factory | Elevate EMEA

Elevate has 40 years of experience in roofing solutions that enhance building performance and protect communities. Meama is the largest coffee producer in Georgia, importing high-quality coffee beans to be roasted and ground to meticulous quality standards, resulting in distinctive coffee blends. Architect Giorgi Khmaladze designed their new headquarters, creating an award-winning building distinguished by a green roof that blends into the surrounding landscape. The grass-covered building, spanning over 3,680 square meters, was waterproofed using Elevate’s RubberGard™ EPDM membrane.

Constructed between 2016 and 2019, the Meama Coffee Factory houses manufacturing facilities, offices, and a coffee tasting showroom. Concertina-style folded walls cover the building, creating dynamic shadows over the construction throughout the day. The angular facade in exposed concrete conceals a luminous interior, with panoramic views of the nearby pine forest and the fields.

The Meama Coffee Factory’s defining feature is its green roof, which is fully covered by wild grasses and accessible to the factory staff. The green roof acts as an additional thermal barrier to the building insulation. As an additional benefit, the vegetation shields the Meama office from noise pollution stemming from the nearby airport. The height of the undulating roof adapts to the encapsulated spaces’ requirements, heightening where machinery and equipment are located and lowering wherever possible. Near its edges, the green roof emulates the slopes of the surrounding environment.

To waterproof the undulating green roof, the project uses Elevate RubberGard EPDM, a single-ply membrane selected for its durability, flexibility, and suitability for green roof systems. With a service life of over 50 years, the membrane offers proven root resistance, meeting the requirements of EN 13948 and the FLL root penetration test. Approximately 6,500 m² of 1.1 mm-thick RubberGard EPDM membrane was installed throughout the project.

Project Details