Architecture practice Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) has won the international competition to design a new nearly net zero operational carbon business center in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. The competition, organized by the Lithuanian Union of Architects and the Right Bank Development Fund, requested the design of a 19,200-square meters office space in the Central Business District of the city. One of the key ambitions of the project was the reduction of embodies carbon, achieved through a number of strategies, including the use of cross-laminated timber floor planks and locally sourced materials.
What is striking about Vilnius is the juxtaposition of buildings of different periods, whereby two storey wooden houses, baroque churches, grand neo classical ensembles, modernist buildings of the Soviet period and sparkling new glass high rise buildings sit cheek by jowl. The site for our building reflects this heterogeneity with the buildings on each of the four boundaries pertaining to different eras in the evolution of the City. Our design aims to meld these diverse contexts together shaping a route between the old Vilnius and the new. - Simon Smithson, Partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
The project is located on Konstitucijos Avenue in the Central Business District, on a plot that allows the organization of a large public space that leads to the entrance of the new business center. An arcade of shops and cafes, along with a covered public street, hopes to create an active and pleasant environment for all citizens. The building itself also provides a series of platforms and planted landings connected by an array of generously scaled stairs. This ensemble creates the center of the venue, a place for meeting and gathering with colleagues. In addition to all the amenities, the scheme provides over 16,000 square meters of office space over the 7-story building.
Through the implementation of passive design features, the team has paved the way for a nearly net zero operational carbon development. This can be obtained by maximizing passive measurements, optimizing HVAC solutions, and offsetting energy demands with renewable energy technologies. As part of the passive design solution, the double skin façade is equipped with an automated solar shading system and the capability for mixed-mode ventilation. To create a pleasant interior environment, it was important that the interior spaces would appear column-free. To achieve this, three trusses spanning the length of the building are supporting the floor beams, thus freeing the open plan from additional columns.
The project is targeting a WELL certification, A++ Energy Class Building, and BREEAM Outstanding. RSHP, an international architecture practice based in London with offices across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia, is the lead design architect on the project working closely with Buro Happold engineers and Gillespies landscape architects. RSHP has recently presented the designs for several other office buildings, including the Elevated Metallic Commercial Tower in Shenzhen, and the HUB Tower in Toronto.
