Project Start & First Facility
In late 2014, the client ended work with a previous architect. Soon after, they met with urban-gro to talk through goals and needs. After that first meeting, the client chose urban-gro as the Architect of Record. The plan was to design the first of three fully integrated cultivation and processing facilities in Massachusetts. This was the start of a strong and growing partnership.
Facility M1 – Built for Daily Efficiency
The first facility, called M1, was planned around a four-week veg and eight-week flower cycle. The layout included eight flower rooms, each about 1,800 square feet. Two dry rooms were added to support weekly harvests. Completed in 2016, M1 helped the client become one of the first legal cannabis cultivators in Massachusetts.
To support plant health and workflow, urban-gro added a Dosatron fertigation system and air-cooled HVAC chiller. The facility also includes trim rooms, ethanol extraction, a MIPs kitchen, curing space, packaging, and labeling areas. It also features a secure vault, office space, locker rooms, restrooms, a break room, and other support areas. As a result, M1 set the stage for future growth.
Facility M2 – Scaling Up Operations
Later in 2018, the client returned to urban-gro to design M2. This second building would grow the cultivation footprint while using M1’s processing areas. M2 covers 26,250 square feet, with 19,000 square feet for cultivation across four large flower rooms.
It also includes two dry rooms, a break room, and a training room. The HVAC system is a 4-pipe setup with gas-fired chillers, boilers, and twin cooling towers. Finished in February 2019, M2 added more space and strength to the client’s network of cultivation facilities.
Facility M3 – Looking Ahead
Now, urban-gro is planning M3 with the client. This last building will complete their 100,000-square-foot canopy license and support long-term success in Massachusetts’s cannabis market.