How to select the right facility design firm for your VF

Added on 07 March 2023

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How to select the right facility design firm for your VF

The journey to becoming a profitable indoor farm begins long before opening the doors to your operation. The pre-planning stage is critical, as it includes one major decision after another, including what crops will be attractive to your target market, what your business model is, your project’s budget, estimating financial feasibility, and finding a suitable site (including accessible power). In this phase, you should consider the high-level aspects of your business and operations before you engage with facility design firms.

Having a fully fleshed-out concept that includes location, crops, and budget also makes the process of finding a vertical farming facility design partner easier for you and them. (Although you may also consider engaging with an experienced architectural and/or engineering design firm to help evaluate specific real estate you may be considering.)

Now that you have a concept ready, it's time to get serious and determine your facility’s design. Your design will address key aspects of infrastructure as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing considerations. These will be critical to your farm’s operations, as your facility design will affect everything from employee productivity to the efficiency and lifespan of your equipment. In fact, failure to create an efficient farm layout and workflow is one of the common mistakes operators make and is also a leading reason why vertical farms fail.

Editor's note: Surna Cultivation Technologies is an industry-leading CEA facility design expert that has been supporting growers in setting up successful farming operations for over 16 years.