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Cannabis Shop Wins City Approval Thanks to High Design

Design firm worked closely with local officials to achieve the desired aesthetic

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Rendering via Relativity Architects

Construction of the first cannabis dispensary in Culver City, CA is scheduled to commence this summer following the project’s approval by local officials.

The new, 3800-square-foot building will house a sophisticated retail concept for Jushi, a publicly traded cannabis company. It was devised by Relativity Architects (Los Angeles), which maintained a design language that plays with opposites: industrial and refined, solid and void, opened and concealed. The utile metal shed form is reimagined into an “industrial chic” custom structure featuring an open floor plan, soaring ceilings and a lush interior landscape.

“As the first dispensary in Culver City, Beyond/Hello faced more regulations than any typical retail store,” said Tima Bell, Founding Principal of Relativity Architects. “We worked closely with our client and the Planning Department to achieve the desired aesthetic, which was a determining factor in getting the project approved.”

Cannabis Shop Wins City Approval Thanks to High Design

Rendering via Relativity Architects

 

Using industrial materials – such as steel beams and columns, aged oak plank siding, curtain wall glazing and standing-seam metal roofing – the architects created an inviting and open space for customers. While resembling pre-fabricated “Butler Buildings,” the design proposes a more refined aesthetic conducive to a sophisticated customer experience. The expected shed structure, however, is deconstructed, presenting a glass box set inside framing that extends beyond it, creating open walkways on either side.

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The street-entrance glass curtain wall is shaded at the pedestrian level for security, while the upper part lets in natural light by day and emits an ethereal glow at night. The other street-facing façade presents a long industrial colonnade with vines growing along the metal struts. This is somewhat mirrored in the parking lot side, with cutouts for entrance. At the back is a fully covered green wall that, like each façade, sports supergraphics proclaiming the Beyond/Hello brand.

Visitors first encounter a glassed-in area with a reception/security desk and check-in bar covered with white subway tiles. The main interior is an open plan with copious plantings – including a full-height tree in the center – light oak wood and terrazzo flooring, all bathed in sunshine from the large skylight. Punctuating the layout are round seating areas and display cases.

A stepping-stone-like path meanders through the space in a contrasting flooring material, guiding clients through a retail journey and along the perimeter display cases to the cash-wrap desk, which is backed by floor-to-ceiling shelves of additional plants. The prolific interior landscape assists in reducing the strong scent of cannabis, augmenting the mandated consistently recycled air.

In addition to Bell, the Relativity Architects design team includes Scott Sullivan, Founding Principal; Teresa Martin-Rico, Project Manager; Alexander Englehardt, Designer; and Oscar Wilhelm Abrahamsson, Designer. Project affiliates are Mystery Design (branding), CJM::LA (landscape), A&N Design Group (MEP engineer), Andy Alexander & Associates (structural engineer) and Labib Funk + Associates (civil engineer).

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