We'll help you build a facility that works.
Regulatory compliance, technical reliability, and economic viability. As your technical partner, CarbonActive supports you from the initial definition of objectives through to commissioning—with a comprehensive plan that all trades can follow. So your investment doesn’t get bogged down in the details.
CarbonActive · Indoor Environment
Cannabis facilities are not standard structures.
You operate at the intersection of pharmaceutical regulations, the specifics of indoor farming, high-performance HVAC technology, and industrial construction planning. Mistakes made in the early stages end up costing many times more later on—technically, regulatory, and economically. We understand this intersection.
GACP & GMP from the very beginning
Pressure cascades, airlocks, room classes, material flow, staffing logic—these requirements must be incorporated into the layout before the first wall goes up. Making changes later means having to rebuild.
Precise climate control during continuous operation
Temperature, humidity, CO₂, air volume, and filtration must be precisely controlled during every growth phase. This places demands on load calculations, AHU design, sensor technology, and control systems—it is not a generic HVAC project.
Many trades, one plan
Construction, climate, plumbing, electrical, irrigation, control systems, lighting, filtration. Without proper technical coordination, gaps, conflicts, and cost overruns can arise—typically only becoming apparent on the construction site.
Thinking about CAPEX and OPEX at the same time
The cheapest facility is rarely the most cost-effective one. Energy costs, maintenance, lifespan, and complexity determine operating costs over the years—and thus the break-even point.
From cutting to packaging
Cultivation, drying, trimming, processing, storage, QC: each step in the process has its own climate and hygiene requirements. The facilities must be tailored to the process—not the other way around.
Integrating planning, construction, and operation
Beautiful visualizations do not constitute a robust set of specifications. What is needed is a plan that can be negotiated with subcontractors, coordinated in IFC, and implemented on the construction site.
Three rolls. A responsibility.
We don’t just provide “consulting” and then hand you off to someone else. We’re by your side every step of the way—as an engineering partner who does the calculations, as a consulting partner who sets priorities, and as an implementation partner who realises the project on-site.
Engineering
We'll run the numbers for your facility—HVAC, ventilation, plumbing, energy, and layout. You'll get hard data instead of brochures, and a model that works on the construction site.
Consulting
We prioritize your decisions—what to do first, what to do later, and what to skip. Using GACP/GMP principles, life-cycle costs, and a realistic assessment of feasibility.
Realisation
We assist with the bidding process, contract award, BIM coordination, and construction planning—and remain your point of contact once the construction phase begins. You’re not building this alone.
A Long-Term Partnership
Facilities have a longer lifespan than a construction project. We factor in maintenance, scaling, and retrofitting from the very beginning—and remain available even after commissioning.
From the preliminary design to the construction drawings.
Seven modular phases — We start where your project is and go as far as makes sense. Each phase can be booked individually, and each phase delivers a concrete result that you can continue to use even without us.
Requirements Profile & Objective Definition
We translate your business objectives into a technically sound requirements profile—the foundation for all subsequent decisions.
- Review of existing specifications, drawings, and construction documents
- Workshops on Defining Organizational Target Processes
- URS — User Requirements Specification
- Process flowchart in accordance with GACP / GMP
- Room Manual: Climate, Pressure Cascades, Room Classes, Airlocks, Equipment, Connections
- FMEA Risk Analysis
- Floor plan
Development of a concrete concept
The requirements profile is used to develop a technically detailed design—including load calculations, layouts, and a 3D model—which serves as the basis for all trades.
- CAD design of the room layout
- Load calculations for climate, ventilation, electricity, and water
- Technical specifications for the main trades
- Requirements for Subcontractors
- 3D schematic drawing / IFC file
Subcontractor Management
We evaluate proposals not only based on upfront costs, but also on their lifecycle—and bring technical expertise to every negotiation.
- Evaluation of Subcontractors
- Comparison of offers based on CAPEX, OPEX, maintenance, lifespan, and complexity
- Technical support for the bidding and awarding process
- Bidder Meetings and Partner Briefings
Detailed Design for Climate & Lüftung
The heart of every cannabis facility. We design and size air handling units, ductwork, heat exchangers, sensors, and control systems—and take maintenance into account.
- Hydraulic and Ventilation Flow Diagrams
- Sizing of AHU, ducts, heat exchangers, sensors, control systems, and chillers
- Utility Room Design
- Maintenance and Repair Plans
- Specifications for climate / ventilation
Detailed Irrigation Planning
Thoughtfully designed from the pump to the dripper—including operating modes, sensors, and interfaces to plumbing and electrical systems.
- Planning from pump to dripper
- Operating modes, timing, and sensors
- Interface Coordination with Plumbing and Electrical Systems
- Water circulation diagram with tanks and recirculation
BIM Coordination
All trades in a single model. Collisions are resolved before construction begins—not during it.
- Merging all IFC files
- Collision analysis
- Coordination of all trades
- Master Plan with Responsibilities
Detailed design
The final stretch to the construction site: installation plans, construction phases, deadlines, and checklists—so there’s no need to improvise on site.
- Assembly diagrams
- Construction Schedule
- Scheduling and Resource Planning
- Checklists for the Construction Site
- Interface coordination through to realisation
CarbonActive · Outcome
Eight documents of value.
Whether we stay with you until the very end or just support you through a specific phase—whatever you take away from each phase is yours to keep. It’s audit-ready, reusable, and can be shared with banks, government agencies, subcontractors, and the board of directors.
URS document
Investment Security in Black and White
Process flowchart
Audit-ready process — GACP / GMP
FMEA Risk Analysis
Identify risks before they become costly
CAD / IFC models
Your facility made tangible
Specifications
Negotiable terms of award
Coordinated BIM model
A truth for all trades
Construction Schedule
The construction site, before work begins
Construction drawings
From Plan to Completed Facility
You're not the first— but every case is different.
We work across the entire value chain. Whether you’re building your own facility, salvaging an existing project, or need additional expertise as a planner—we’ll meet you where you are.
Medicinal cannabis producers
Facilities that operate under regulatory oversight and require a facility that is designed in accordance with GACP/GMP guidelines and documented in a manner that allows for auditing.
Cultivation Associations & CSCs
Organizations that want to grow in a structured way—with clear capacity planning, efficient HVAC systems, and a scalable infrastructure.
Investors
Investors who need reliable technical and financial key figures before making an investment—CAPEX, OPEX, break-even point, risk profile.
Operators of existing facilities
Facilities that are to be retrofitted, optimized, or expanded—with a focus on energy efficiency, climate stability, and regulatory compliance.
Project developer
Developers who need a technical foundation for their projects—from site screening to a negotiable scope of work.
General Contractor, Architects & Engineering Consultants
Design firms and general contractors that wish to provide cannabis-specific expertise in the form of technical design services for a specific project.
Liquidity and ROI planning — upon request.
Based on the technical design, we can provide an integrated cost-benefit analysis upon request. This means that not only the facility itself is on the bench, but also its projected operating costs.
From construction plan to business case.
A robust CAPEX/OPEX analysis derived from concrete technical planning—including personnel costs, audit costs, and a break-even simulation. Not a marketing projection, but a transparent basis for banks, investors, and the executive board.
Estimated Investment Price
Based on the specifications, layout, and IFC model—structured by trade.
Operating Cost Model
Based on the chosen cultivation and processing methods, as well as energy and maintenance costs.
Personnel costs by organizational chart
Roles, layers, qualifications—in conjunction with the process flow.
Audit and administrative costs
To ensure that regulatory requirements are not overlooked in the calculation.
Break-Even & ROI Simulation
Scenarios in which assumptions and prices can be compared transparently.
Your business case in a single meeting.
Designed specifically for cultivation associations: The CSC Financial Planner guides you through the entire process—from needs assessment to IGC investment and operating costs, all the way to cash flow projections that account for harvest and delivery cycles. Adjust assumptions, run through scenarios, and obtain reliable figures for the board and members.
We are not just consultants.
CarbonActive has been a leader in indoor system technology since 2004—from the first activated carbon filter to complete facility design. For you, this means: We understand your needs because we’ve built the equipment that will be installed in your facility.
Swiss precision
Thorough planning, thorough documentation. The work we deliver stands up to audits by government agencies and banks.
Indoor is our core business
Climate control, ventilation, filtration, and indoor farming—not just a side business, but our core business for the past two decades.
A system rather than individual parts
Spaces, equipment, and control systems are all interconnected. We don’t treat them as separate entities—you won’t end up with a patchwork solution.
Regulation—not just after the fact
GACP and GMP principles are incorporated into the planning process from day one—not just when the auditor is at the door.
We know the construction site
Plans that can't be built aren't plans—they're brochures. We provide plans that can actually be built.
Let's talk about your project.
An initial consultation—objective, technical, and with no obligation. You’ll receive an honest assessment of where your project stands, what risks are apparent, and what the next logical step should be. Whether you’re starting tomorrow or planning to build in two years’ time.
