Santa Rosa Cannabis Architect Published by MG Magazine

*Printed in MG Magazine's April 2022 Issue*

HENDERSON ARCHITECT INC
Henderson Architect got its first cannabis design opportunity with a grow facility in Santa Rosa, California. Business took off from there, allowing the company to design grow facilities and cannabis dispensaries all over the West Coast. One of the designs in which founder Jim Henderson takes the most pride is Doobie Nights, an experiential dispensary in Santa Rosa. "We created this large room with high ceilings where they project a video and play music, allowing for this really cool, immersive experience," Henderson said. "You can walk in and you're surrounded by a green field and sunshine, and then that transitions into a forest with snow falling. It makes for a really cool shopping experience."
HendersonArchitect.com

Check out page 53 of MG Magazine's April Issue for the full write-up in the link below.
MG Magazine April 2022

Do You Need an Architect to Design a Restaurant?

Building or remodeling a building to become a restaurant takes a lot of planning and specialized features. Besides serving its practical purpose, the structure and design of a restaurant must guide the patrons and offer a particular ambiance.

If you are only renovating an existing restaurant, you probably don't need an architect. But, as long as you change the vision and arrangements, an architect will bring your ideas to life. They will also create plans that are structurally sound, practical, and compliant with regulations.

Why Hire an Architect?

An architect is trained for both the technical and aesthetic aspects of designing a restaurant. The purpose of a business like a restaurant is to serve as a place of production, as well as provide the customer experience. You can see how an architect is perfect for this task.

When designing a restaurant, an architect covers the following points:

• Constructions and utilities

• What is needed to install kitchen equipment

• Consistency of design

• Coordinating the work of independent contractors

• How well the site fits the project

How Much Does an Architect Cost?

The cost of hiring an architect depends on many variables, starting with the experience of the firm and the size of the project. For an assembly building (a definition that includes restaurants with 50 or more seats), the law requires you to hire an architect.

Architects work with different types of payment plans. Some work for an hourly fee, others for a fee per square foot, and some prefer to calculate their fee as a percentage of the building’s total value. It depends a lot from one architecture office to another, so it's best to start booking discussions with architects in your area early on.

Typically, you can expect 10 to 15% of the building’s total cost to go on architecture plans, design, and engineering plans.

Are You Designing a New Restaurant?

If you are an entrepreneur planning to open a new restaurant, get the advice and service of an architect. Henderson Architect is your expert in Santa Rosa, California. We specialize in commercial buildings from the tourism and hospitality sector. Our clients include wineries, commercial centers, event areas, and other projects.

We look forward to learning about your vision for your restaurant project and offer consultation if you need an architect’s expertise. Contact Henderson Architect online, or at (707) 237-5240, and bring your new restaurant to life.

4 Must-Haves For Every New Winery Design Project

Wineries are popular destinations for people to relax, unwind, and have a taste of great wine right from its source. Of course, creating this oasis of relaxation and fun is no easy task, but that responsibility falls to you, the winery owners.

So, what do you need to focus on for a new winery design project that your visitors will love? Here are 4 recommendations from Henderson Architect:

Mirroring the Wine-Making Process for the Layout

Wineries provide people with an experience they cannot get anywhere else, so it’s important to take the time to focus on the layout of your new winery design. The best approach is to consider the actual wine-making process, and slowly take visitors through this process with the help of the new layout.

This ensures a smooth experience and happy visitors that can even learn something in the process!

Building the Right Atmosphere

Making sure you have full control over the temperature where you make the wine is critical to a good product, but the same can be said about the winery itself when you consider the visitor experience.

As a result, insulation solutions should be captured right in the design stages of your new project, making sure your product sits in the perfect environment, and your visitors find an atmosphere that encourages them to come back.

Floors That Can Withstand high Traffic

The floors of your winery will have to endure a lot, from lots of visitors and workers constantly moving about to changes in temperatures or high levels of moisture. Not only that, but the floors in your winery should not be the perfect environment for bacteria to flourish!

These are very specific flooring requirements, and it’s generally a great idea to get this discussion out of the way as soon as you start designing your new winery.

Good Floor Drainage

Drainage is another critical part of the winery's design. Loot for solutions that can do a good job without creating a hazard on the floors. Remember, a lot of people will be walking through the winery, so you want to avoid slippage or large grates where people can drop their items.

Looking for a New Winery Design? We Can Help!

Henderson Architect is here to provide you with the best solutions for your new winery design! Reach out to us today or call 707-237-5240 to find out more about our design services.

What Is the Role of an Architect in Building a House?

Most people are unfamiliar with the specifics of an architect’s responsibilities. Let’s start with what an architect isn’t. Architects are not engineers; rather, they are in charge of facilitating the planning, construction, and completion of a building.

While they aren’t involved in constructing the building themselves, they oversee a variety of steps and tasks leading up to and during this process, including the design of the building, ensuring it adheres to building codes and state regulations, managing budget and time constraints, and coordinates the team of contractors that implement the design.

Building Design

The architect works with the client to design the appearance, space, and structure of the house. They will select the building materials, the technology required, ensure that the contractors properly implement the design, and don’t miss important aspects, and that building and construction do not exceed budget and time constraints.

The architect coordinates with the engineers and the client and uses computer software to create a 3D model of the building.

Adherence to Local Codes & Regulations

Certain states have different building codes and regulations that must be abided by during construction. The architect will need to ensure they are following safety and environmental protocols.

The architect will need to be aware of fire codes and any other requirements for drainage, height limitations, and much more. It is the architect’s responsibility to ensure that all regulations and codes are adhered to by communicating with the engineers during construction.

Ensures That You Are Operating Within Budget & Time Constraints

Every client will have a ballpark range of costs they’re willing to incur but not exceed and the same goes for an estimated time window. The architect discusses the needs of the client such as how much they are willing to spend and how soon they need the project to be complete.

The architect then relays this information to the contractors to ensure everything is going according to schedule.

Managing Construction of the Building

The architect can help find contractors to work on the building and negotiates a contract that will benefit both parties. While architects don’t build the house themselves, they do make routine visits and monitor the construction to ensure the blueprint for the house is being followed and builders aren’t lagging behind schedule or running up costs.

An Architect Is a Jack of All Trades

If you haven’t noticed by now, architects kind of do it all. We manage all aspects of project development from initial concept and design to completion. We ensure that everything runs smoothly, on time, within budget, and complies with regulations. Looking for an architect for your new home? Call Henderson Architect at 707-237-5240 or fill out our contact form online.

5 Things to Remember When Designing a Winery

Have you found the perfect location for your winery? Congratulations! But before you get carried away by excitement, it's time to think about your winery building design.

Careful designing is required to ensure a winery that's effective, functional, flexible, and safe. Below are five things you should keep in mind when designing your winery.

But first, a word of caution: No matter how good you think your design skills are, it's never a good idea to design a winery by yourself. You'll make mistakes that could cost you your business. So instead, let our expert designer design your winery for you. We have years of experience and will deliver exceptional results.

Things to Remember

1.      Planning and Design

The primary function of a winery is to produce wine. As such, your winery design should encourage maximum productivity and should be conducive to efficient operations. Your design should also stipulate where the wine will be produced and stored. The design should also factor in specific spaces for grapes collection, preparation, and fermentation. Also, every space should have its own temperature and light specifications.

2.      Show Casing

Your winery should be placed next to your vineyard to help with showcasing. And the tasting room should have clear and strategically placed windows to enable customers to view the vineyards. A competent designer should also help you design viewing points that allow customers to see the barrels and cellars.

The aim is to create an unrivaled experience and encourage your customers to come back for more.

3.      A Robust Insulation System

Insulation of your winery is essential to the manufacture and storage of your wine. However, a poorly designed insulation system will expose your wine to unfavorable conditions that could ruin its quality. You'll also be forced to dig deeper into your pockets to meet your heating and cooling needs.

4.      Install Right Utilities Systems

A good winery should have a good electric connection and drainage system for maximum productivity. Speaking of utility systems, if you want a drainage system that allows easier cleaning, consider a slot floor drainage system over a floor drainage system.

5.      The Right Flooring Material

Wine processing equipment can be excessively heavy, meaning they can leave permanent markings on the floor. To protect your floor, go for robust and durable flooring materials. Additionally, the materials you choose should be able to withstand fluctuating temperatures and be easy to maintain.

We Are Here to Help!

At Henderson Architect, we have extensive experience in planning and designing wineries from the ground –up. We'll handle every aspect of the process, allowing you to focus on your business. Call us today at 707-237-5240 or fill our online contact form to book an appointment.

How An Architect Can Help You Plan And Design Your Restaurant Layout

If you’re looking to open a restaurant, one of the best decisions you can make is to have an architect help create the layout.

Restaurants have a lot of moving pieces. The wrong plan could end up hurting your activity, but also offer a bad experience for your guests, which can be enough to ensure the restaurant activity is short-lived.

Here are 5 ways an architect can help make sure that doesn’t happen:

1. Plan for Comfort

The food aside, the restaurant must also offer guests a welcoming and comfortable experience. The architect knows this and envisions the layout of the dining area to ensure guests can have easy access to their table and the other facilities they need (such as the bathroom) without bumping into other tables or guests.

2. Easy Circulation

The architect will also take into account the high amounts of movement inside the restaurant, especially in terms of the waiters coming and going to the kitchen repeatedly.

Waiters need to have easy access to the kitchen and a way to enter and exit while holding people’s food and drinks, so the floor plan should include a set ‘path’ to support this.

3. Better Safety

Creating a safe work environment isn’t just about training staff members on how to properly use the kitchen equipment - it can also start from the floor plan.

An architect will design the layout based on key safety requirements of restaurants, and make use of the available space as efficiently as possible.

4. Special Attention to the Kitchen Area

A good kitchen layout is just as beneficial as the dining layout. Even small restaurants have 2 or more staff in the kitchen, so ideally you want to give them plenty of space to perform their tasks without constantly bumping into each other. The architect can help design the kitchen floor plan for maximum efficiency.

5. Other Facilities You Might Need

If you want your restaurant to have extra amenities like a space for children to play or a waiting area, the architect is the one who can make sure these ideals fit into your plan from the very beginning.

Henderson Architect’s Restaurant Plans

Henderson Architect can help you leverage your space and create restaurant layouts that support your business goals.

To learn more about our services, fill out our contact form or call us at 707-237-5240 to get started on your design.

4 Must-haves for Every New Winery Architecture Project

Design matters when it comes to a winery construction project. The most crucial aspect of winery architecture is an expertly crafted layout that keeps in mind its processes and site requirements. Your design should also consider the work involved in maintaining the winery. That said, here are four must-haves for your new winery architecture project.

A perfect Layout

A lot of work goes into building a properly functioning winery, and one of them is having a layout that makes operations smooth and easy. Everything should be put in a convenient location to ensure the reception of grapes, the wine-making process, and packaging is done efficiently. Furthermore, a well-thought layout will facilitate smooth operations and save employees' time, which they could have otherwise wasted moving from one section to another.

Quality Insulation

The wine-making process requires the maintenance of specific temperatures at given times. Poor insulation will lead to constant temperature fluctuations, which can hinder the fermentation of wines. This can also destroy a whole batch of wine and lead to massive losses.

Apart from that, inadequate insulation can increase cooling and heating costs, which eventually adds to the general cost of operating the winery. That is why it helps to hire a competent winery architect like Henderson Architect to help install high-quality insulation and ensure it works effectively.

Proper Drainage System

Your winery architecture isn't complete without proper drainage for wastewater. Water plays a significant role in the winery system, so it's vital to incorporate an appropriate drainage unit for better recycling and minimal water wastage.

Select the Right Flooring Material

Like other aspects of the winery, flooring is an integral part of the construction design. Be sure to choose a flooring material that can sustain the daily wear and tear and serve you for several years to come. Additionally, the flooring should be easy to clean, withstand moisture and corrosion, and be made of non-porous material to manage fluctuating temperatures in the winery unit.

Hire Reliable Experts for Your Winery Architecture Project

Having the right team in place can ensure your project meets all the requirements. At Henderson Architect, we strive to incorporate all these must-haves to ensure your winery looks and functions perfectly. If you're ready to get started, please fill out our online contact form or call us directly at 707-237-5240 to schedule a consultation.

How Does Designing for Commercial Architecture Differ from Residential?

Architecture design is usually discussed around commercial buildings, though it will also handle the design of residential buildings as well.

There are some key differences in approach, however. Because the buildings are so different in terms of budgets, size, and even their purpose, the architect needs to take into account vastly different criteria when designing a commercial space, versus a residential one.

Let’s look over some of the main differences between commercial and residential architecture design:

1. Different Safety Codes

There are different safety codes that need to be respected in a residential versus a commercial building. The reasons for this are fairly simple: commercial spaces usually have a lot more traffic than residential ones, so the safety codes need to take this into account.

2. Size

A commercial space has a lot more working space than a residential one. Even if we’re talking about an entire apartment building, the architect must take into account the comfort of the people who will live there, so their design must effectively leverage the working space to ensure residents feel comfortable living there.

With commercial spaces, while size might not be such an issue, architects still must make sure they properly leverage the working space to make sure the offices are not crowded, or to allow consumers to easily find their way through the space.

3. Special Requirements

Commercial buildings come with lots of special requirements the architect must fit into the design. These can be:

●       Office spaces

●       Conference rooms

●       Cafeterias

●       Integrated gyms

●       Customer area

●       Parking spaces, etc.

A commercial space will usually have to make sure the company can run its activity uninterrupted. Additionally, companies now look for additional facilities to offer their employees a better office experience, such as a place to workout in the office building or special relaxation rooms. The architects must integrate all these special requirements into a seamless design for the entire commercial building.

Residential buildings don’t always have these requirements, though newer residential complexes are not offering additional amenities to residents as well.

Call Henderson Architect Now

If you’re interested in commercial architecture to create a modern space to run your business, we at Henderson Architect are happy to assist you. Our designs can leverage your working space and fit in all your special requirements, making sure the final result stays true to your expectations. Call us now at 707-237-5240 or fill out our contact form to get started.