UK architecture studio Mailen Design has unveiled its design for a medicinal cannabis production facility on the Isle of Man, which will act as headquarters for local marijuana company GrowLab Organics.
Designed to bring economic and environmental benefits to the Isle of Man, the facility will cultivate medicinal cannabis for exportation and be the first of its kind on the island.
The Isle of Man, which is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, passed law changes on cannabis in 2021. In the following year, GrowLab Organics gained a licence to cultivate, extract, manufacture, import and export cannabis products for medicinal use.
It has since received planning permission for its cannabis farm, which is set to be built on Ronaldsway Business Park near the Isle of Man’s airport and will contain agricultural growing rooms, laboratories, distribution areas, offices and social spaces.
Surrounded by industrial buildings, the GrowLabs Organics facility will have a sawtooth roof with rainwater harvesting and landscaping designed for local wildlife.
An electricity substation will be built to power the farm. According to Mailen Design, it will “contribute no additional carbon emissions from electricity use”.
“From the outset, we have closely collaborated with government bodies, local authorities, and environmental experts to ensure GrowLab Organics aligns with community needs and policy requirements,” said Mailen Design director Jon Humphreys.
“We’ve prioritised ecological sensitivity, incorporating native planting, bird and bat boxes, and a wildlife pond to enhance biodiversity,” he continued.
“Dark-sky-compliant lighting helps preserve wildlife habitats and the island’s nightscape while low-embodied-carbon cladding reduces construction-related environmental impacts by up to 20 per cent.”
GrowLab Organics plans for construction to be completed within 12 months and for goods to begin exporting in 2026. Once the facility opens, 60 full-time jobs in science, engineering and administration will be introduced to the area.
Mailen Design was founded by Ben Mailen in 2010 and has offices based in London and Oxfordshire. Projects by the studio that have been featured on Dezeen include a barn-like house in Kent and a showroom in London for building materials manufacturer Knauff.
Cannabis dispensaries that have been published on Dezeen include a white shop interior with mirrored ceilings in Toronto and an interior in Los Angeles designed to look like a jewellery store.
The images are by Mailen Design.
