Amidst all of the highs and lows that 2020 has brought, it’s been a busy year, and a year of growth for our core team. In January, we added a part-time Business Development role and brought on Lauren Richardson to fill that seat and add expertise in brand strategy and marketing to our firm. And, just a few weeks ago, we welcomed Jim Fraser, who is an accomplished licensed Architect with nearly 25 years experience on the job and a diverse project background spanning commercial, industrial, and medical facility design.
As we enter into the cooler Fall / Winter season, we’re excited about current projects and those set to kick-off over the coming weeks. We’ve been watching the Illinois licensing saga with much anticipation alongside the rest of our industry, and have been staying busy with projects ranging from Architectural Interiors for a Flagship Dispensary in Milliken, Colorado to a Smoking Lounge concept in Adams County, to initial conversations with a group out of Bogota, Colombia to support on a large cultivation and processing facility in a rural part of the country.
We’re learning every day, growing steadily, and leaning in to the virtual workflows that the pandemic has forced. Are there ways we can support you, your team, or your goals this year? We’d love to hear from you // catch up over a socially-distanced coffee! Reply to this email and say hello. And in the meantime, stay well.
Cheers,
Satto and Nicole
Say hello to Satto@MerJArchitecture.com
Say hello to Nicole@MerJArchitecture.com
VOICE OF…
A Q&A With new hire Jim Fraser, AIA
Where are you from?
Chicago, but lived in Lakewood when I was a kid and have been back in Colorado since 2002.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?
Be in the outdoors: rock climbing, kayaking, biking, you name it.What’s been a favorite project you’ve worked on thus far in your career?
I designed a shelter for abused women. It was very rewarding.
What’s a dream project you would be over the moon to work on?
Designing a college campus.
What is the biggest misconception about architects?
That we don’t really understand building construction.
Why are you interested in working in the cannabis industry?
It’s a new project type for me and will give me an opportunity to learn and grow in my profession.
What’s your favorite local business in Colorado?
I don’t really have a favorite. I support small business whenever I can and have the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who starts their own small business.
Describe your perfect vacation destination / experience? Somewhere out of the way with no phones, TV, or internet, where I can just relax with a good book and get some “me time.”
Who is / are your industry idol(s) in architecture? Why?
My idol would have to be Antoni Gaudi. He had a style all his own. I appreciate how he took ideas from nature and geometrical forms and integrated them into his projects.
2020 has been a hard year in many ways. What has been your peak amidst the pits?
Getting hired on at MerJ Architecture!
VOICE OF…
A Q&A with MerJ Business Development Director, Lauren Richardson
Where are you from?
Charlotte, NC. I moved around quite a bit after undergrad, calling Austin and San Francisco home before moving in Denver in 2017.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?
I love a good DIY project, and am very into design. It’s not uncommon for me to spend a day rearranging rooms in my own home.What’s been a favorite project you’ve worked on thus far in your career?
When I worked in events, I designed and produced a summer marketing tour for a natural foods brand that layered in a partnership with Wanderlust Yoga Festival. It was dynamic and creative and was hugely successful for the company.
What’s a dream project you would be over the moon to work on?
We are currently working on a cannabis lounge concept here in Adams County; as regulations continue to evolve, I’m excited to see how “cannabis bars” will come to market and will be jazzed to work on more projects in this innovative category.
What is the biggest misconception about architects?
I’m not an architect myself, but one thing that surprised me when I started at MerJ was seeing the sheer depth of knowledge and expertise that architects must have across every aspect of construction and design.
Why are you interested in working in the cannabis industry?
It’s the wild-wild-west! I love being a part of an industry with people that are so passionate about the ‘power of the plant’ and am constantly impressed with the caliber of creativity and business acumen people in the cannabis space bring; everyone is so collaborative and forward-thinking and optimistic.
What’s your favorite local business in Colorado?
For cocktails, I am a huge fan of Room for Milly. For coffee, I love Queen City Collective in Baker and Mint & Serif off Colfax. For noms, I love Linger (the history of their building is great!).
Describe your perfect vacation destination / experience?
A mix of total relaxation and adventure. Love a good off-the-grid weekend at Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat.
Who is / are your industry idol(s) in architecture? Why?
I am a big fan of mid-century work, so Charles and Ray Eames are talented architects whose work I very much admire. I’m also very fond of the eclectic design work of Kelly Wearstler.
2020 has been a hard year in many ways. What has been your peak amidst the pits?
Getting engaged and going under contract on my first commercial property. Two big peaks!
GOOD READS
What we’ve been reading (or listening to!) lately…
- Art of Construction / Show 187 | Cultivate Advisors Series: The Hustler & The Experimenter (A podcast featuring Nicole Delmage)
- Pot Shop License to Support Social Equity| Matt Estep, the former managing partner of Green Thumb Industries, runs an investment firm linked to two applicants hoping to win the right to open marijuana dispensaries in Illinois.
- Illinois Slims Dispensary Applicants | Last January over 700 groups filed 4,000 applications for 75 cannabis dispensary licenses; only twenty-one entered the tiebreaker phase.
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