Graham Baba Architects creates relaxed environment inside Seattle hashish dispensary

Picket decor and glass vitrines characteristic on this hashish store within the Pacific Northwest, which was designed by US studio Graham Baba Architects to supply a “personalised, leisurely searching expertise”.

The shop is one in every of a number of in Seattle owned by Dockside Hashish, an area firm that opened its first marijuana dispensary in 2011. The brand new retailer is positioned within the metropolis’s Ballard neighbourhood, a waterfront space with stylish eating places, breweries and boutiques.

Designing the brand new store, referred to as Dockside Hashish Ballard, got here with a notable problem. Native agency Graham Baba Architects wanted to create a branded expertise for a retailer that operates inside the “rising and shifting hashish market.”

“The answer was to redefine the everyday buying expertise by the creation of a tranquil and welcoming setting – a venue that provides a novel visible id paired with an educationally centered buyer expertise,” the studio stated in an outline.

Encompassing 1,930 sq. ft 179 sq. metres), the store is housed inside a one-storey construction that was pre-existing. The constructing’s authentic peak and footprint have been preserved with a view to keep its neighbourhood scale.

Darkish metallic wraps the outside partitions and roof, enabling the constructing to have a quiet presence alongside a busy avenue. Weathering metal was used for varied accents on the facades.

The entry is outlined by a wooden trellis and spacious deck that can be utilized for out of doors occasions. To assist scale back any stigma that is likely to be related to shopping for marijuana, the outside is supposed to look open and welcoming.

“Ample glazing on the entry and avenue facade produces an inviting stage of transparency, reinforcing the picture of hashish as a mainstream product,” the staff stated.

Prospects step right into a vibrant and ethereal area, the place daylight filters in by a brand new skylight and uncovered scissor trusses. Polished concrete flooring was used all through the area – a easy materials that’s straightforward to keep up.

For the furnishings, the staff used a mixture of light-stained maple, white oak and plywood. Merchandise are displayed inside glass cloches and vitrines – a “technique that allows clients to peruse the merchandise whereas nonetheless complying with strict, no-touch metropolis laws,” the studio stated.

Serra hashish dispensary in Portland options greenhouse-like show instances

Gadgets on the market – together with buds, edibles and tinctures – are saved inside tall, slender cupboards positioned behind the gross sales counter. The cupboards, which slide open and closed, are stocked instantly from a again room.

“When absolutely closed, these tall, vertical cupboards resemble a wood-panelled wall and function a easy backdrop for the gross sales counter,” the studio stated.

Reasonably than standing behind a desk, store workers float across the store and help clients – a departure from the everyday hashish store.

“This strategy fosters a cushty and informative dialog with employees by eradicating the strain to rapidly determine and make a purchase order whereas different clients are ready in line,” the staff stated.

For purchasers in want of marijuana for medical functions, the staff included a personal space with a small desk, which is about off from the principle gross sales space. Consumers who positioned specific orders on-line can choose up their items at a desk simply contained in the entrance door.

The general design of the shop is supposed to supply a relaxed and environment friendly buying expertise.

“By eliminating the litter and the bottleneck of a conventional hashish store gross sales counter, clients can get pleasure from a personalised, leisurely searching expertise in a tranquil, visually calming setting,” the staff stated.

Hashish outlets are popping up round America, as an rising variety of states legalise the leisure use of marijuana. Different new dispensaries embody a Serra store in Portland by OMFGCo and JHL Design, which options greenhouse-like show instances, pale-toned tiles and a plant-covered wall.

Images is by Andrew Pogue.

Undertaking credit:

Structure and interiors: Graham Baba Architects
Undertaking staff: Brett Baba, Noreen Shinohara, Francesco Borghesi
Basic contractor: Bennion Building & Carpentry
Casework and furnishings fabrication: Artifex NW
Structural engineer: Harriott Valentine