Accoya wood, has been used in the construction of the Bracknell flagship Waitrose store. The supermarket, which opened late 2011, is Waitrose’s ‘greenest’ shop to date. The 25,000 sqft store incorporates pioneering new sustainability features that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a staggering 80%. Accoya was chosen for the timber cladding as the project wishes to achieve “Outstanding” level recognition by BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).

As a high performance and FSC certified wood cladding product, Accoya will help contribute to an improved BREEAM rating and help to soften the design aesthetically. The tenant also required a 50 year warranty for the timber cladding; and Accoya, through its industry leading Class 1 durability, proved the only timber capable.

Vertical random width Accoya boards, supplied by International Timber, were clad to the façade of the store. A 2-coat anthracite grey woodstain was applied with a 10 year coating warranty which was another pre-requisite by the tenant.