Waitrose Helensburgh Wins Scottish Design Award 2014.
Drum Property Group development for Waitrose at Helensburgh, last night won the Best Retail Project at the Scottish Design Awards 2014.
Designed by architects Cooper Cromar, to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standards, and described by Waitrose as their most successful store, the contemporary 36,500 sq ft supermarket and fuel station sits proudly on the banks of the River Clyde across from the new Hermitage Academy, forming a gateway to the town.
The active frontage to the store comprises the main entrance, checkout zone and visitor cafe all gathered into a linear pavilion and framed with an inverted ‘gullwing’ timber clad roof providing a welcoming, uplifting environment. The composition recognises contemporary northern European design principles, its maritime setting and the use of sustainable local materials.
The site layout afforded generous opportunity to maximise soft landscaping, particularly to the western boundary where a dense belt of trees and accessible pathways are situated. The existing trees have been reinforced with additional semi-mature willow trees, along with other species complimentary to Helensburgh’s costal climate, which have created a more bio diverse and structurally varied habitat.
The judges commented on the excellent execution of the project, and the development has received high praise from many of the Waitrose Executives. Waitrose Helensburgh has become the benchmark store, setting the standard for the quality of any new developments within the brand.
