PROJECT OVERVIEW
One of South Africa’s newest shopping destinations, The Greenery in Polokwane, opened in October 2023 to provide an upmarket, convenient retail centre with 28 stores for the region’s local residents, patrons, tenants and businesses.Aptly named The Greenery after the former municipal nursery which sat on this site, developers from The Moolman Group and Networth Group Investments briefed JL Design to conceptualise an ecologically sensitive but functional modern facility that would drive the region’s growth.
Linking two major arterial road networks, that of the N1 and R71, to Polokwane’s Central Business District (CBD) and nearby schools and medical services, The Greenery is set to appeal to the affluent residential and commercial demographic in the region. Key retailers and businesses in the centre include anchor tenants Checkers, Dichem, Mr Price Home, Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay Clothing, and various other fashion, banking and fast-food outlets, as well as an Intercare medical center.
Not only was it critical that the building’s architectural aesthetic nodded to the site’s original purpose but that it could also withstand the region’s climactic demands of high and dry temperatures whilst also considering the anticipated heavy footfall.
PROJECT DETAILS
- Project Name: The Greenery Retail Centre
- Project Type: Commercial Shopping Centre
- Description: Cladding to fascades
- Products Used: Eva-tech Decorative Balusters and façades in Savannah
- Date of Installation: 2 October 2023
- Project Location: 54 Oost Street, Polokwane Ext 4, Polokwane
- Architect: Christelle de Villiers
- General Contractor: Lucinda van Coppenhagen
A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
JL Designs, specialists in mall design and architecture, were appointed to realise the developer’s vision.The contemporary design of The Greenery centre was a departure from the usual themed malls, incorporating a clean, accessible and open layout with a big emphasis on landscaping. Much focus, expense and effort went into preserving the existing indigenous trees which are front and center of the design, while the brick buildings serve as the backdrop.
As is so often the case, as the project progressed, the initial vision and concept evolved and adapted to changing trends and regulations resulting in the incorporation of more durable, natural-looking materials imprinting a unique, practical and more environmentally conscious identity to the aesthetic. Cascading plants and natural looking materials such as Eva-Last’s wood-look bamboo composite fascias and balusters were incorporated to echo the surrounding environment.
The sustainability credentials which were an imperative to the centre’s ethos, satisfies the SANS 10400XX and XA regulations through the incorporation of energy-efficient and/or recycled materials, achieved through the clever use of modern building materials including Eva-tech balustrades and fascias in Savannah for the facades, cladding details and signage.
These brushed, textured profiles were installed vertically in keeping with current international trends whilst also serving a functional purpose, that of providing slight shade and improving thermal comfort in a wood look aesthetic that is a more durable and an eco-friendly material engineered for performance.
Eva-tech’s recycled plastic composition, combined with flexible resilient bamboo fibres, ensure a clean and colourfast material that is lightweight and easy to install, that will prevent disruption of trade in the long run given that they won’t require constant cleaning and maintenance or replacement.
Eva-Tech’s low maintenance characteristics, coupled with the expert advice and installation by the professional team of Eva-Last Projects guarantees The Greenery will reduce its carbon footprint while maintaining its beautiful exterior aesthetics.
KEY INFLUENCER QUOTES
““Eva-tech bamboo composites are the ideal solution for a cost-sensitive commercial centre. Their recycled content and longevity mitigates the negative impact of a building’s carbon footprint, improves Project Yield and even lowers long-term maintenance costs,” says the consulting architect from JL Design.Click here to download a PDF version of this case study.
