On April 17, the winners of the competition “Best Building of the Year in Latvia 2019” were announced during an online broadcast. Amid a fierce contest, the buildings from the first phase of the Business Garden Riga office campus gained 3rd place in the “Public Building” category, sharing this title with Māris Štrombergs’ BMX track in Valmiera and the Akropole multi-functional centre.
“For the first time in the history of the show, we were expecting the results online, and this turned out to be no less nerve-racking than at the award ceremony in previous years. Considering the very strong competitors in this category — for example, the House of Science of the University of Latvia and the Latvia concert hall in Ventspils — we are truly proud of our achievement. For us, the recognition from leading industry experts is yet another confirmation of the high level of quality that we have set with this project. We hope that over time, Vastint’s innovative and meticulous approach to its projects will become a generally accepted standard. We truly believe that each office worker deserves a modern, sustainable and healthy working environment, such as that which is now enjoyed by employees in Business Garden Riga,” comments Līga Daniļeviča, Marketing Manager at Vastint Latvia.
This January, Business Garden Riga became the first project in Latvia to receive a LEED Platinum certificate, the highest certification in the prestigious international LEED system for assessing the sustainability of buildings. The office campus was also awarded the best public new building in the Latvian Construction Industry’s Annual Award 2019.
Business Garden Riga is located on Malduguņu St. 1 and 2 and is based on the concept by the developer Vastint that has already been successfully implemented in several European cities. All Business Garden projects are distinguished by their convenient location close to the airport and city centre, as well as by the human-friendly proportions of the buildings, providing optimal daylight and creating a comfortable environment for employees. In the middle of the campus a well-landscaped 1.7 hectare large garden is situated with historic trees, sports grounds and recreation areas.
Business Garden Riga is being developed in three phases, inspiring its tenants to grow along with the campus. During the first phase, two office buildings with more than 14,000 m2 of leasable space have been completed. More than 200 bicycle stands, 109 underground and 504 above-ground parking spaces, including CityBee and CarGuru car-sharing zones, have been created. For the comfort of employees, lockable bicycle storage rooms will soon be available in the basement, as well as changing rooms with more than 100 lockers. The Patnis private childcare centre has opened its doors in one of the buildings, talks are in progress with a lunch restaurant operator, and the Visma IT company has moved into the premises. Business Garden Riga will offer more than 70,000 m2 of modern and comfortable office space and a wide range of amenities for all employees.
The annual “Best Building of the Year in Latvia” ceremony has been held since 1998 with the aim of stimulating the construction of beautiful and high-quality buildings. The competition is organized by the Latvian Builders’ Association and the Latvian Association of Civil Engineers, in cooperation with a number of public and private partners. This year, the jury of the competition included 51 experts representing 26 associations, organizations and enterprises from across the construction industry.