Food Experience & Sensory Testing (FEAST) Facility
Massey University - Palmerston North
Lab-works Architecture was engaged to design a new Food Experience and Sensory Testing (FEAST) facility for Massey University. Located at their Manawatū campus, FEAST is a hub for food sensory and consumer research, training and consultancy.
Completed in 2021, the new facility includes spaces where sensory testing of food can be undertaken by both individual and group settings, along with focus group discussions. These include an immersive space, a flexible space, a focus group space, cubicles, booths, commercial kitchen, reception area, and storage areas.
The requirements of the facility, where testing occurs, was to minimise or eliminate distractions as much as practicable in an existing building. This was achieved by constructing walls with a denser construction for sound absorption, and insulating the existing exterior building shell. Spaces have been finished with colours from a neutral palette that do not distract from the senses of the people being tested.
For more information and a virtual tour, head over to Massey University’s website.
