Amazing what a global pandemic can do… We have been wanting to start an email newsletter to communicate our passion for efficient, sustainably designed cannabis facilities to our clients and the world, and here we are, with a good excuse to launch it! We hope that we can soon move forward together to a ’new normal’, and get on with the business of growing with our clients.
Before MerJ was even an idea, we were designing cannabis facilities as far back as 2010, when Colorado jurisdictions were struggling to write regulations as growers and dispensaries were literally building out their facilities. By 2015 the regulations were still in flux as we designed MedPharm Colorado, a vertically-integrated marijuana production facility in Denver.
With this experience we saw two things: that marijuana growing and manufacturing had quickly developed into a highly technical, precise art, and that regulating agencies were spewing out an incredible array of complex rules to meet. It was at this point that MerJ Architecture was born, with the aim to provide clients with the technical understanding and guidance necessary to navigate regulations and create the world’s most efficient and productive facilities.
We started MerJ with a learning mindset and decades of experience in Architecture across many verticals. Our vision and everyday pursuit is to use our combined architectural knowledge and shared passion for cannabis to drive innovation in the built world of this booming industry. ‘The grass is always greener,‘ so they say, so we choose to keep our eyes on the horizon and remain forward-thinking even amidst these unprecedented times. We’re grateful for our experience with routinely conducting business online now more than ever, (our main office is in Denver, Satto has an office in New Mexico, and our clients are spread across the United States and beyond) which has allowed us to transition easily during this “stay at home” period.
MerJ, as many cannabis-oriented companies are, is experiencing steady growth and momentum and we’re excited to share knowledge and support our network in every way possible! We hope this monthly-ish newsletter keeps you informed and inspired, and that you’re all staying safe (and sane) from wherever you call home.
Cheers,
Nicole & Satto
THAT’S A WRAP
A bit about a project we’ve completed…
- Project Name: Medicine Man
- Type: Dispensary
- Location: Thornton, Colorado
- Overview: Medicine Man enlisted MerJ in October of 2016 to lead the design and development of a 4600sqft dispensary in Colorado. This was their third location, so while a cannabis build wasn’t necessarily new territory for their team, they came to MerJ with a flagship vision we were thrilled to help amplify and bring to life.
- Design Detail: The cool glow from the behind the product display wall was an effect created by a sheet of diffused LEDs called LumiSheet, made by Denver’s Evo-Lite. MerJ custom designed and fabricated the recessed floor with the inset Medicine Man logo and structural glass surface. The zig-zag slatted ceiling panel was designed by MerJ and fabricated by Div 6 Millwork in Colorado, and we’re grateful for building expertise from the team at Faurot Construction.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Here’s what we’ve been working on lately…
- Working with a cannabis startup that’s currently fundraising, designing Concept Site Plan drawings to include in their investor pitch;
- Supporting the re-development of an old paper factory in Massachusetts;
- Navigating licensing for a client moving locations in Colorado Springs;
- Expanding an extraction and MIPs facility in Las Vegas, Nevada;
- Scaling a vertically integrated producer in California.
- Working on two greenhouse grow/processing facilities, one in Colorado and one in western Massachusetts.
Good Reads
Here’s what we’ve been reading (or listening to!) lately…
- The Pandemic Pivot | The marijuana industry had barely recovered from the vape crisis of 2019 when the coronavirus pandemic delivered a fateful blow to the world economy in the first quarter of 2020.
- The Colorado Mask Project | A locally formed, collaborative organization working to provide all Coloradans with DIY masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
- MMT is now Schwazze | Denver’s Medicine Man Technologies rebrands and acquires Mesa Organics.
- Maine Drops Residency Requirement | You no longer have to be a Maine resident to open a recreational marijuana business in Maine.
- EntreArchitect Podcast | Power of the Abundance Mindset in a Time of Uncertainty.
See the full newsletter here.
Leave a Reply