The international BREEAM certification system is designed to assess many aspects of building sustainability: from health and well-being to pollution and energy efficiency.
The new American International School of Vilnius (AISV), located in the Pavilniai Regional Park in Vilnius, opened its doors last autumn. Students from Lithuania and various countries of the world study in English at this school.
‘The school is in the forest, and the forest is in the school. Children spend most of the day here and still don’t want to go home,’ says AISV representative Darius Gradzevičius, summarising the school’s sustainability achievements.
The AISV was awarded the international BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certificate, BREEAM In-Use, with the ‘excellent’ rating.
‘This certification is the starting point for the school’s sustainability, and it is a beautiful example that, I have no doubt, other schools will follow. Especially since many offices and modern factory buildings have already started their course towards certified sustainability. Educational buildings should not be inferior to others in terms of comfort, environmental friendliness and harmony with nature,’ says Darius Kvedaras, the CEO of the Be Live group of companies.
According to the data of the Be Live group of companies, last year there were over 140 valid building sustainability certificates in Lithuania, most of which were for office buildings (53%) and industrial buildings (21%).
According to D. Kvedaras, the first assessment of school sustainability in the Baltic states helps draw attention to how the sustainability of schools determines the well-being of students, teachers and communities and protects the environment.
‘Pine trees can be seen through the windows of the AISV’s classrooms, and the recently improved transportation infrastructure allows everyone to safely reach the school by any means, including, of course, on foot or by bike. There are numerous ergonomic and engineering solutions employed at the school, and these have significantly contributed to the high BREEAM rating,’ he says.
According to D. Kvedaras, when assessing the sustainability of buildings, an important factor is engineering, for example, the AISV’s intelligent building management system and the use of solar and geothermal energy. It is convenient that the need for ventilation is signalled by CO₂ sensors, which also automatically regulate the ventilation in the gym. The school managed to get a lot of positive sustainability evaluation scores for its water saving solutions, such as monitoring its consumption by zones, its leak detection system and its water-saving sanitary and household appliances.
Considering the busy street nearby, a great deal of attention has been paid to protecting the school from noise and pollution. Although it seemed impossible to achieve this on a relatively small plot, the architects designed the building in such way that daylight would enter from all sides, and the windows would offer a great view of the surrounding nature. The school also has recreation spaces both outside and inside, and cosy kitchens with a dining area and places for drinking water invite the students to have a healthy lunch. All windowsills double as seats where children can rest, read and play.
For the convenience of students and teachers, the windows have automatic blinds or roller blinds to protect them against sun glare. When furnishing the premises, different needs of children and adults were taken into account, and this led to the installation of multi-height wash basins and reception desks. Playfully coloured interior elements help everyone to navigate the school intuitively.
To improve the infrastructure of the building, Srovės Street was reconstructed: parking spaces with green areas as well as bicycle and pedestrian paths were installed. The architects divided the U-shaped school building into three volumes of variable height with sloping roofs. The system of building spaces around the school’s inner courtyard merges with the greenery of the park, harmoniously bringing together the sports field, playgrounds, terraces and outdoor amphitheatre where sports and education can take place in nature. The school terraces connect to the park, where children can continue their acquaintance with nature.
The architects of the new AISV building are Formatas A1, the general contractor is Conres LT and the construction management and technical supervision was carried out by the company group Be Live.