About the client
Vilniaus vystymo kompanija, UAB, currently manages more than 200 public-interest projects across Vilnius, with a combined value of around €1 billion. A significant share of these projects focuses on educational infrastructure, including designing and renovating schools and kindergartens to increase available places and adapt existing buildings to today’s needs.
One such project is the reconstruction of the primary education branch of Vilnius Grand Duke Gediminas Progymnasium at 3 Blindžių St. After the renovation and expansion, the school will accommodate 384 pupils, up from 235 today.
Infes work
Infes will prepare the detailed design and carry out the reconstruction and expansion works. The existing building, which currently covers approximately 1,700 sq m, will be expanded to 5,841.68 sq m, with the school comprising five interconnected buildings.
One of the project’s key challenges is integrating the existing structures, in use for more than six decades, with the new architectural and engineering solutions. The retained structures will be reinforced, new sections will be constructed, and new engineering systems and all infrastructure required for a modern school will be installed.
The expanded school will include additional learning spaces, FabLAB and ArtLAB creative laboratories, sports and assembly halls, and a civil protection shelter. The renovated building will meet the A++ energy performance standard. Lifts, platform lifts and tactile surfaces will help ensure the school is accessible and convenient for people with mobility or visual impairments.
The improvements will also extend to the school grounds. The site will include outdoor classrooms, sports and playground facilities, and recreational areas. To preserve as much existing greenery as possible, the new buildings will be designed as separate, interconnected volumes. Ten trees are expected to be removed during construction, and the same number of new ones will be planted once the works are complete.
The section of Blindžių Street between Birutės and Latgalių Streets will also be upgraded, including new pavements, renewed water supply networks and 21 parking spaces.
Results
Following the reconstruction, the school will be able to accommodate nearly 150 additional pupils. But the transformation will go beyond simply increasing capacity. Students will have more space to learn, create, exercise, and spend time outdoors, while teachers will benefit from more comfortable day-to-day working conditions.
The expanded building, new learning spaces, and upgraded surroundings will enable a school branch that has operated for more than 60 years to meet today’s educational needs while preserving the green character of Žvėrynas.
Visuals by Atamis, UAB.
