Sustainable Style
“Sustainability is embedded in everything we do, from the garments we create to the environments we build,” says the Country Road team of its recently refurbished store at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. “This refurbishment was guided by our belief that great design should tread lightly. Every decision, from material selection to energy efficiency, was made with long-term environmental impact in mind. This space is a reflection of our commitment to building a more sustainable future for retail.”
Country Road’s 993m2 store – one of its largest – has been transformed into a fresh and inviting space that not only creates an environment that enhances the brand’s luxury retail offering and customer experience, but importantly, also endorses their long-held brand ethos of sustainability as integral to everything they do. Local – in every sense of the word – is a critical component of the Country Road vision.
Responsible design
Country Road’s commitment to “being one of the world’s most responsible retailers” plays out perfectly in this fitout. Their sustainability advocacy journey began over 50 years ago in the brand’s home country of Australia, and today at the revitalised V&A store, their attention to detail, big and small, is very apparent. The brand began the refurbishment programme by choosing a local environmental consultant and accredited professional – the Terramanzi Group. This multiple award-winning sustainable design team was instrumental in facilitating and implementing Country Road’s vision for the interior design, providing advice and guidance throughout the brand’s journey to its 5-Star Green Star Interiors V1 rating.
Establishing sustainable urban living is part of that journey, and in that regard, the store is well positioned, with easy walking access to high-quality amenities within the V&A Waterfront, and it lies within 1 000m of public sports fields, places of worship, markets, schools and a recycling depot. In addition, it’s situated in the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, a 5-Star Green Star EBP rated building with a design that draws inspiration from Cape Town’s local scenery, resonating with the modern South African consumer and embedding a sense of place in the store’s aesthetic.
Director of Terramanzi Group, Fabio Venturi, unpacked the complexities of the project: “Country Road – connected to Woolworths in South Africa – is a brand that vigorously pursues sustainability accreditation in its Australian stores, and does phenomenal work in that regard. [The Australian] Interiors tool has similar principles to the South African one, but is unique in its own local nuances, so it required a recalibration on our part – a tweaking if you like – of many of the elements. The brand is fully committed to local procurement, local talent and local flavour, which makes it really bespoke. Many of the local contractors and designers had not worked on this type of project before, so there were significant challenges and learning curves for them – important learnings that they can carry through to other projects.”
The entire project, led by Terramanzi and the Country Road Group, showcases South African excellence in sustainable retail, blending local identity with innovative environmental strategies. For the Country Road team, “One of the most gratifying aspects was seeing our brand’s sustainability values coming to life in a physical space. From the use of recycled materials to energy-efficient lighting and improved air quality systems, every element was intentionally considered to reduce environmental impact while elevating the customer experience. Working closely across teams in design, sustainability, construction and store operations was a deeply rewarding part of the process. It reinforced our belief in the strength of cross-functional collaboration to deliver exceptional results.”
Creative upcycling
In an effort to reduce waste and embodied carbon, the project team made every effort to retain and reuse existing materials. Where new materials were required, the team sourced local, and selected materials with sustainability credentials, such as ISO 14001, Industry-Wide and Project-Specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), responsibly sourced and FSC-certified engineered wood, and Green Tag certifications (Level A to C).
The team introduced innovative, often unique elements into the mix, aligning with the project’s goal to be an industry leader in sustainable fit-out strategies. Examples include fixtures incorporating recycled plastics, such as carpets from recycled polyester yarn – reducing reliance on virgin materials and minimising environmental impact – and curtains from recycled polyester, further emphasising circular economy principles. Innovatively, the fitting room hooks were made from ocean plastic – addressing marine pollution – countertops were constructed from recycled yogurt containers, showcasing creative waste repurposing, and displays were created from recycled PET packaging waste, reducing landfill contributions. A stand-out feature is the children’s seating constructed from recycled plastic toys. Transforming discarded consumer goods into functional and symbolic decor elements aligns fully with the brand’s sustainability ethos, and in addition, engages customers with a narrative of reuse.
Sustainability initiatives
Minimising potable water consumption is a critical consideration in water-scarce regions like Cape Town. To conserve water, low-flow water fittings and fixtures were installed in the back-office area, and existing taps were upgraded/retrofitted to low-flow models, enhancing water efficiency without requiring entirely new installations.
The fully LED lighting in the store is designed to provide optimal comfort while eliminating glare, enhancing energy efficiency and occupant experience. In addition, 94% of appliances and equipment by rated power installed in the fitout are energy efficient, either by carrying a minimum B rating of the European Energy Labelling system, or they have an ENERGY STAR® rating.
An innovative feature in the fitout includes a Green Lease introduced by the landlord, and signed between the building owner (V&A Waterfront) and the tenant (Country Road). This ensures the store is managed and operated according to sustainable principles, a collaborative approach in fostering shared responsibility for sustainability initiatives such as zero ODP insulation/refrigerants; smart energy/water meters linked to a learning resource platform; and local connectivity reducing car-centric travel for staff to amenities. Learning resource plaques are a stand-out feature in the store, educating staff and customers on how the fitout’s sustainability initiatives function, and their associated environmental benefits. This transparent communication transforms the store into a platform for sustainability advocacy, engaging occupants in a meaningful way.
The installation of online smart metering for both energy and water facilitates ongoing monitoring of actual consumption, ensuring sustainability measures perform as intended. Water and energy are monitored through MOLTM (Meteringonline), and this information is displayed on screens showing the daily savings. MOL is an online meter data management application that allows Country Road to monitor energy usage in near real-time. Electricity consumption is aggregated every half-hour and this consumption, along with the time-stamp, is stored in the MOL metering database in the cloud.
In the interior, nature’s role is recognised as significant in restoring focus and attention, while fostering that important calming connection to nature. Art-based biophilic design – photographs – draw attention to a sophisticated and innovative application of environmental psychology in a retail setting, enhancing the customer experience. The installation of indoor plants not only contributes to indoor environmental quality (IEQ), but further fosters that human-nature connection.
Other powerful initiatives during the fitout included a tree donation. At the official opening of the fitout, Country Road donated 50 trees and ensured that representatives attended the planting event at Blomerus in Uilenkraal Forest.
Sustainability lies at the heart of the Country Road brand, and this recognition by Green Building Council South Africa affirms the strides it’s making to lead with purpose in the retail industry: “We’re incredibly proud to have achieved a 5-Star Green Star rating for our Country Road V&A store. It reflects our ongoing commitment to design spaces that are not only beautiful but also responsible.”
Says Venturi, “It was incredibly rewarding to work with such a progressive client which, paired with the outstanding effort from our sustainable design team, resulted in something truly special – one for the books – and we are especially proud of this achievement. We hope this sets an example for the retail sector. Congratulations to Country Road!”
