As cannabis production facilities are on the verge of proliferating across the country, efficiency\u2014and, by extension, sustainability\u2014is going to be a pressing issue.<\/p>\n
According to Sony Rai, the architecture lead at SvN\u2014which is building a 280,000 square foot cannabis production facility, research and development centre, as well as Cronos Group\u2019s corporate head office, just outside Barrie\u2014now is the time to look into building these facilities with minimal footprint.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs architects, we look at how we can satisfy the building use on a smaller footprint, so we should start looking at a sustainable approach, in terms of energy use,\u201d he said. \u201cBut also, because these indoor facilities don\u2019t need access to natural light and are grown in artificial environments, we should look at ways they can be built underground or on multiple storeys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uniquely, cannabis facilities are zoned for both industrial and agricultural. However, this versatility has drawbacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the big challenges in agricultural areas is electricity, and getting access to that electricity,\u201d said Rai. \u201cThe facility we\u2019re developing in Stayner uses 20 times more electricity than Stayner itself. Getting access to this kind of energy out in rural areas is very challenging. You\u2019re also not close to the distribution as well, so you have to move product further afield. Whereas in and around suburban municipalities, you have access to highways and electrical infrastructure, but there the cost of land is a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
But wthe increase in large-scale distribution centres over the last decade, an opportunity has doubtless presented itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great time to look at our relationship to boxes,\u201d said Rai. \u201cNow with the growth of Amazon fulfillment centres, data centres, the cannabis industry and other large-scale distribution centres, it\u2019s an opportunity to look at zoning. Clients will place large boxes on a single storey and have access to cheap land. It\u2019s a great time to look for rezoning to see how we can develop these facilities on multiple storeys and make them more mixed-use.\u201d<\/p>\n