Westland Shopping

Smart renovation and sustainable expansion of a major retail hub

VMA recently completed the opening of three new retail zones—North, South, and West—as part of a strategic extension and renovation of an existing 38,000 m² shopping mall. This was a complex project carried out in phases to ensure ongoing retail operations.

“We had to replace and secure the mall’s entire main power infrastructure while stores remained open. The old and new systems had to operate almost side by side.”

Emmanuel Six, Operations Manager at VMA

Advanced HVAC with geothermal energy

One of the key innovations lies in the HVAC system, where VMA implemented a geothermal loop to reduce energy consumption.

“In the North zone, we drilled 190 boreholes, each 80 meters deep,” explains Cédric Leleu, Project Manager at VMA.

“These wells power a water loop that enables efficient heating and cooling for the shops. The challenge was to size the system precisely to meet the real needs of the tenants.”

Industry 4.0 in action

VMA brought smart technology to the project, integrating advanced Industry 4.0 systems. One example is the use of LoRa (Long Range) technology, which wirelessly connects energy and water meters, enabling seamless data communication across the building.

For air treatment, three adiabatic cooling units from Menerga atomize water until the dew point is reached, cooling the air while minimizing the use of conventional chillers.

Designed for the future

This forward-thinking approach not only supports efficient and comfortable operation but also positions the retail center for a BREEAM Excellent certification, underlining its sustainability credentials.