Riegers Store

Sustainable design

For well-known Wellington architect David Melling, sustainability is a critical part of his design approach.

“We focus on efficiency and eliminating waste, which to us means good planning and clever design,” says David, Director of Melling Architects.

It’s a philosophy that guided David’s work when he and his team designed the fit-out for Rieger’s Victoria Street premises.

When Rieger’s moved from Bond Street to Victoria Street in 2017, David’s first priority was to strip out the office’s internal partitions.

“We created a simple layout with a central spine of workbenches. We did a lot of listening to the staff to understand their workflow so we could make it very efficient and streamlined,” he says.

Timber benchtops, soft flooring and soft lighting give the Wellington print shop a relaxed, homely feel.

To make the project more sustainable, Melling Architects:

reused joinery and other materials from Rieger’s previous office
● choose LED lighting, which uses much less energy than fluorescent lighting
● used recycled rubber mats
reduced waste during the fit-out.

“I’m a client of Rieger’s as well as their architect, which helped me to keep the needs of clients and staff in mind while we were doing the design,” says David.

“Clients feel they’re in a calm, ordered space that is light and open. It has a really good feel to it.”