For a long time, a huge building complex “Bokšto skveras” sitting at the intersection of Bokšto and Išganytojo Streets has been just another abandoned area of the capital. The attention of the residents of Vilnius was drawn to this object only when the complex was acquired by the businessmen and patrons well-known in Lithuania, the Ortiz brothers, and heavy construction machinery entered the area of the complex.
The Bokšto skveras project, implemented by the owners of the Baltisches Haus, the Ortiz brothers, is a thank you to the Old Town of Vilnius, which fascinated businessmen more than two decades ago and became a strong impetus to stay in Lithuania and start a business here. The first stage of one of the largest recent real estate projects in the Old Town of Vilnius was completed in September. The emerging outline of the business and leisure complex reveals its unique history.
As early as this autumn, the first lessees of a modern Baroque business and leisure complex “Bokšto skveras” will settle in the centre of Vilnius Old Town, in Bokšto Street. The complex, which took almost a decade to be designed and built, will be open to all the residents and guests of Vilnius. This is an investment by the Ortiz brothers, the owners of a real estate development and management company Baltisches Haus, in the area of Vilnius Old Town which was abandoned for many years.
A new car maintenance, repair and tire centre Melga was opened in Panevėžys in a complex developed by Baltisches Haus (Kerbedžio g. 12A). The Auto Service was established near a self-service car wash H2Auto that has been operating for the past year.
“As we develop spaces for businesses, we strive to create value for both our partners and their clients. Two years ago, we have developed the first complex in Šiauliai (Dubysos g. 34) where car maintenance, repair and tire centre Melga, car parts centre Eoltas and self-service car wash H2Auto opened their doors. We noticed that such model where drivers are able to repair or wash their cars, buy tires or car parts in one place has proved to work. Taking into consideration the above, we have decided to develop analogous project in Panevėžys”, – Audrius Masionis, the Director of Baltisches Haus, tells.
The construction of a complex for drivers will be completed at the beginning of October and will coincide with the opening of car parts centre Eoltas.
Picture by Indrė Stulgaitė-Kriukienė
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) final certificate issued to 6.5 M euro worth shopping and service centre “Žali”, which has been operating for the past year in Balsiai micro-district of Vilnius.
According to Audrius Masionis, the director of “Žali” developer and manager Baltisches Haus, UAB, this is the first building in the Baltic States with BREEAM rating “very good” awarded in accordance with BREEAM New Construction certification scheme in the commercial real estate segment.
Pollution reduced by new projects
“In the European Union, on average, buildings consume 40% of energy and generate approx. 36% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions making them one of the biggest consumers of energy. Understanding the challenges posed by the climate crisis, underestimated impact of buildings to the environment and our responsibility, we have been purposefully pursuing the goal of building high-energy class, sustainable shopping centre in Lithuania. The fact that in this respect the building is unique in the Baltic States as well was a nice additional plus”, – A. Masionis tells.
It is estimated that one third of buildings in EU are older than 50 years with low renovation rate, which, depending on the country, is 0.4–1.2% per year. So far, new buildings, in particular, have the greatest potential for reducing climate impact.
“It is particularly important to us that the experts awarded the highest rating to the pollution control, waste management and sustainable energy aspects of the shopping centre “Žali” since these aspects are critical to the sustainability of the building. Although such a building, including landscaping thereof, requires more investments than traditional buildings, our goal is to change the attitude and determine a higher quality standard, as we believe this is the shopping centre of the future”, – A. Masionis argues.
People- and eco-friendly
Urbanized environments, reduced green spaces, additional noise and traffic flows – this is how residents imagine the neighbourhood of the shopping centre. However, the exterior of the shopping centre “Žali”, which uses geothermal energy, is heavily planted, thus noise emissions were reduced to a minimum.
“Complicated complex engineering solutions have made it possible to create social infrastructure that was necessary to the local community and ensure a friendly neighbourhood. The noise from the shopping centre is minimal, which is very important not only to people living in the neighbourhood but also to the wildlife. In principal, each new building has an impact on the environment, however, it is obvious that the impact may be completely minimised. This is the matter of the attitude of a real estate developer”, – A. Masionis tells.
The investment of Baltisches Haus to the shopping centre was approx. 6.5 M euro, of which 4.6 M euro were invested in the store. The shopping centre “Žali” also has electric car charging stations, promotes car sharing service. In addition, near the shopping centre, new public transportation stations are built, including paths for the disabled, which connect the building with public transportation infrastructure, cycle paths and additional facilities for the cyclist are expanded or extended.
Shopping centre “Žali” project was implemented together with IKI, Eikos statyba, Baltic Engineers, JP Architektūra, COWI, EE plius, Viaprojektas, AGA CAD, Akustika plius, Senasis ežerėlis and other partners.
Credit Bureau Creditinfo, conducting the analysis of financial reliability and rating of the companies, has awarded Baltisches Haus, UAB the certificate “The Strongest Leaders in Lithuania 2018”.
This certificate is awarded to financially reliable Lithuanian companies with a good credit history on a continuous basis for 5 or more years. According to the data of Creditinfo, only 1% of Lithuanian companies are amongst “The Strongest Leaders in Lithuania”.
The assessment of the companies by Credit Bureau Creditinfo is carried out on the basis of data from State registers, commercial banks of other market participants, credit unions, leasing companies, consumer credit and telecommunication companies, fuel, energy, transport and other sectors.
The entire list of “The Strongest Leaders in Lithuania 2018” can be found here: https://rekvizitai.vz.lt/stipriausi-lietuvoje-lyderiai-2018/.
A new shop of Pepco chain of the lowest price clothes and household products was opened in the Baltisches Haus shopping centre at Vytauto g. 84A, Marijampolė. This shop, which has been established in the premises covering 474 sq.m of floor area, is the sixth shop in the shopping centres managed by Baltisches Haus and the second in Marijampolė.
The European chain, which entered the Lithuanian market two years ago, is growing rapidly: Pepco Lithuania currently manages 29 shops in the country. Pepco manages a shop chain which overall has more than 1,600 shops in the Eastern and Central European countries. Pepco shops in Europe have more than 15 million customers a month.
From now on, Panevėžys residents will be able to enjoy baked goods made by masters of Prezo Bakery.
The first network-owned bakery in the city opened its doors at the address Ukmergės g. 18. This is the 38th Prezo bakery in Lithuania and the 7th to operate in a shopping centre controlled by Baltisches Haus.
Like in other bakeries belonging to the network, the visitors will be able to choose from a wide assortment of sweet and non-sweet pastries. In addition to various pastries, Prezo invites to enjoy a cup of fresh coffee or tea, fresh-squeezed juice or refreshing smoothies prepared on-spot.
Baltisches Haus has just started the construction work of a new energy efficiency class A+ supermarket at Ragaudžių g. 2, Panevėžys.
This is the first commercial object being developed by Baltisches Haus where the major lessee shall be Rimi store. In addition to Rimi, the supermarket will also accommodate a cafe, pharmacy, veterinary clinic and a flower shop.
This sustainable supermarket, which covers more than 1,600 square meters, shall be made accessible for the lessees' employees with disabilities and convenient for shopping for disabled clients. Spacious parking lot next to the supermarket will also have a charging station for electric cars.
Start of Work – quarter II 2019
End of Work – quarter IV 2019
Contractor – Telšių statyba, UAB
Designer – Gintautas Diržys
Technical Supervisor – Pastatų diagnostika ir statyba, UAB
Last year, the net profit of Baltisches Haus, one of the largest commercial real estate development and managements companies in the country, was EUR 17,734 M – 70.9% more than the year before (EUR 10,373 m). Income of the company increased by 4.6%, up to EUR 33,554 M.
“The increase in net profit was mainly attributable to faster growth in rental and sublease income and the result of sale of shares of certain subsidiaries and associated companies controlled by the company, including decrease in interest expenses. In terms of last year’s investments, a major part of 13 million euro investments made last year went to the construction of a complex in Vilnius Old Town, Bokšto g. 6. This building should be occupied by offices, restaurant and SPA. We intend to invest the most into this object in 2019. In addition, we plan to implement several shopping centre projects,” – Audrius Masionis, the Director of Baltisches Haus, UAB tells.
At the end of 2018, the area leased and subleased by Baltisches Haus amounted to almost 261,000 sq. m. The company has 34 employees.
At the beginning of the year, Baltisches Haus and Public Institution Akmenės Jaunimo Centras signed a Cooperation Agreement, under which the company handed over to the public institution as support the building located at Dariaus ir Girėno St. 11 in Akmenė. Less than half a year later, Public Institution Akmenės Jaunimo Centras invited Akmenė’s community to the opening of the IVIDU youth centre.
According Dr. Inga-Urbonaitė-Vadoklienė, a co-founder of Public Institution Akmenės Jaunimo Centras and author and manager of various creative projects, the youth centre will host cultural and educational events, hackathons, feature a gallery and media library, and serve as a space for generating ideas for community-based businesses.
There are currently 4,000 children under the age of 18 living in the whole of Akmenė District; however, up to now, the district had now space for the youth to get together and spend quality free time. We are excited about this initiative and hope that IVIDU will become a place where new projects are born, the youth of Akmenė can spend their free time in a meaningful way, and community-based businesses get developed.
Prezo, one of the largest bakery networks in Lithuania, continues to successfully expand its business activity: the thirtieth bakery was opened in Klaipėda (Taikos pr. 115) in a shopping centre controlled by Baltisches Haus.
The visitors of the bakery will be able to choose from a wide assortment of sweet and non-sweet pastries.
In addition to various pastries, Prezo invites to enjoy a cup of fresh coffee or tea, fresh-squeezed juice or refreshing smoothies prepared on-spot.
This Prezo Bakery is the sixth bakery based in one of the shopping centres owned by Baltisches Haus. We are proud of this collaboration and would like to wish lots of success!
Following a reconstruction, a renovated IKI store will open its doors to buyers in a shopping centre controlled by Baltisches Haus in Kėdainiai.
The area of the store located in Tilto g. 2 was expanded and is now 851 sq. m. In addition, lighter and more spacious sections for freshly-baked bread and fruit and vegetables and modern, energy-saving refrigeration equipment and modern lighting were installed. Wider aisles between the shelves were also constructed. Buyers in the IKI store will be able to use not only the usual cashier-staffed checkout terminals but also new self-service terminals, IKI Bitutė (IKI Bee).
In addition to the IKI store, Baltisches Haus Shopping Centre, which opened in 2001, is also occupied by the “Gintarinė” pharmacy, a clothing, furniture and interior accessories store, a flower shop, a solarium and a hair salon.
SSC “Žali” projects was recognised as the best in the Consumer Relations category in the annual Baltic Communication Awards Mi:t&links 2019. We are very proud of this recognition and would like to thank our project communication partners Bosanova for collaboration and award-worth ideas!
For more information about the awards: http://www.miitandlinks.com/en/
This year, Baltisches Haus, one of the largest RE development and management companies in Lithuania, plans to invent €15-18 million into new and ongoing projects, an increase of 20–40% on 2018.
“A major part of the €13 million investment made last year went to the construction of a complex in Vilnius Old Town, Bokšto g. 6. This building should be occupied by offices, restaurant and a spa. We intend to invest the most into this project in 2019. In addition, we plan to implement several shopping centre projects.” – Audrius Masionis, Director of Baltisches Haus, says.
Currently, the Baltisches Haus portfolio includes approx. 260,000 m2 of commercial real estate projects in 39 Lithuanian cities, most of which are shopping centres. At the beginning of the year, Baltisches Haus expanded its portfolio by adding a health care service centre which opened in Vilnius micro-district Antakalnis.
For more information about the plans for 2019 of Baltisches Haus and other RE developers you can read this article in Verslo žinios: https://goo.gl/dhF6Ta
This will be the first project for Baltisches Haus developed with the purpose of providing modern treatment services.
Baltisches Haus and the public institution Akmenė Youth Centre (VšĮ Akmenės jaunimo centras) have signed a collaboration agreement according to which the company has transferred a building in Akmenė (Dariaus ir Girėno g. 11) to the public institution as a donation. Previously a canteen and a store, and later a canned-food factory, the building became the property of Baltisches Haus in 2000. Now, with the help of an active community, the building will be transformed into the youth centre IVIDU in Akmenė.
The head and one of the founders of the public institution Akmenė Youth Centre, and author of various creative projects, Dr. Inga Urbonaitė-Vadoklienė, is pleased that a friendship with Baltisches Haus made three years ago resulted in a project that was missing from the life of Akmenė city and the young people of the district.
“Currently, approximately 4,000 children under the age of 18 reside in the Akmenė district. However, until now the district did not have a space for young people to gather and spend their time in a meaningful way. The establishment of the Akmenė Youth Centre IVIDU will create opportunities for innovative and creative young people to act. In addition, we will promote their entrepreneurship, and, hopefully, will be able to involve less active young people. We hope that IVIDU will soon become not only the most important centre of attraction for the young people in Akmenė, but also for the entire community of the city and the district,” – Dr. Urbonaitė-Vadoklienė says.
The author and initiator of the project, Dr. Urbonaitė-Vadoklienė says that the youth centre will host cultural and educational events, including a hackathon, a gallery and media library will be opened, and community-based business ideas will be generated.
According to Dr. Urbonaitė-Vadoklienė, the first events in the new youth centre are likely to be organised in March. Until then, there are plans to adapt the first floor of the building for use and arrange the surroundings.
“We believe in this community idea and hope that with our help and the initiative of the local people of Akmenė, we will soon create a space for new projects, possibilities for young people to spend their leisure in a meaningful way, and the development of community-based businesses,” – Audrius Masionis, the Director of Baltisches Haus says.
The 2nd Annual BIM Leadership Conference, BIMLINK 2018, took place on 12 December in the Litexpo conference centre. The aim of this conference is to contribute to the progress of digital construction in Lithuania and to provide knowledge about the BIM application.
This year the conference focused on a different aspect of project efficiency, namely RE management efficiency, which though analyzed less frequently is equally relevant. Presenters at the conference shared their experience in RE design, management and maintenance, as well as their expertise in BIM project management and digital data control.
Baltisches Haus architect Jūratė Lent also shared her experience with the conference participants and told the story about the development of SSC “Žali”.
According to Lent, the design of “Žali” included not only the BIM model of the building but also models of land plot, surrounding streets, new traffic circle and outdoor engineering networks. Moreover, the project contains a multitude of information, from specific technical information about materiality, technical data, physical and chemical properties to information about manufacturers, suppliers and other details.
Fifteen teams and approximately 300 people worked on the “Žali” project; four comprehensive studies and numerous simulations were conducted. In her presentation, the Baltisches Haus architect emphasized that, with such a large team, one of the biggest challenges was mutual communication and management of information flow in the construction process.
“Žali” is the first shopping and service centre in Lithuania built according to the international sustainable building standard BREEAM, which was recognized as the best project in the public building category at the Lithuanian BIM Projects 2018 competition.
During a Business Week initiated by Trakai District municipality, representatives of companies that have created workplaces in the district, developed businesses, fostered a beautiful environment and contributed to the improvement of the social environment were awarded. This year, Baltisches Haus made it into the list of winners, awarded for its investments in youth entrepreneurial and professional skills training.
“Close collaboration with the community of the trade school Sodžiaus meistrai, lasting for almost ten years, has enabled us to contribute to youth education and expand the choice of professional pathways. We believe that more opportunities are opening for young people as they choose a profession that is close to their heart – a profession that motivates them to move forward and achieve even more,” said Audrius Masionis, CEO of Baltisches Haus.
The Sodžiaus meistrai trade school opened in 2003 in Rūdiškės, Trakai District, in collaboration with the vocational training association Les Compagnons du Devoir et de Tour de France embracing the oldest of European traditions. It is unique among vocational institutions as it focuses on the application of apprenticeship.
Currently, young people can opt for professions of carpenter, furniture maker, roofer, cook, confectioner and landscaper at Sodžiaus meistrai.
On Tuesday, in the town of Lentvaris at Geležinkelio Street 38, a new Baltisches Haus shopping centre opened its doors to visitors. The company invested almost €1.5 million in the construction, which lasted for six months. This is the first building in the town – and the 95th shopping centre in Lithuania – to be controlled by the company.
“The new shopping centre in Lentvaris is the second commercial structure by Baltisches Haus this year, concluding the development of the company’s shopping centres in 2018. In March 2018, in the Vilnius suburb of Balsiai, the first shopping and service centre complying with BREEAM international sustainable building standard, Žali, was opened,” said Baltisches Haus CEO Audrius Masionis.
An IKI store, a Camelia pharmacy and a Tete-a-Tete casino are situated in the A+ energy efficiency building, which occupies an area of almost 1,600 m2. Visitors are able to use an ATM near the entrance to the store.
There is car parking for up to 60 spaces and an electric vehicle charging station for two vehicles has been installed near the store. Residents are able to leave their four-legged friends at special stands installed outside.
A newly refurbished store owned by the “Iki” retail chain opened its doors in the Studlendas shopping centre managed by Baltisches Haus in Klaipėda on Thursday. Now that the reconstruction is complete, residents can now shop more conveniently and select from a wider range of products. “Iki” invested more than €1.2 million in the modernization of the store, which is located at H. Manto Street 90-1.
To mark the occasion of the opening, other stores and service providers operating in Studlendas also offered special promotions and entertainment to visitors.
The Studlendas shopping centre was the first project in Lithuania to combine the private and public segments of the economy. Opened in 2006, the shopping and services complex is located near Klaipėda University and is popular especially among students. This convenient, airy and modern building provides space for over 50 stores and service centres arranged over two floors.
The title of most preferred employer in the construction and real estate sector is a company whose name is not mentioned so often in the public domain. A team of just over three dozen staff members, most of whom have been working there for more than a decade, is behind its impressive achievements and projects.
The real estate developer and manager Baltisches Haus has always been closely linked to the well-known retail chain IKI. The company was founded to develop the chain’s network and build new supermarkets that hosted the food business operator as well as a range of other tenants.
Today, it is an independent developer and manager of real estate projects. After more than 20 years of focused work in this real estate segment, the company has developed strong muscles; Baltisches Haus currently manages 94 shopping centres, or more than 264,000 square metres of space around Lithuania.
A steadily growing company
“I’ve spent a large part of my professional career at Baltisches Haus and it’s been a wonderful time,” says Ignas Grigaras, operations manager.
He is someone who has put his touch to every project the company has developed –looking for suitable spots for shopping centres, supervising their construction or reconstruction, and taking care of the operations.
He is an old-timer at the company, working there since its inception in 1995. In that year, several companies that owned stores in Vilnius had turned their eyes to Kaunas.
Ignas is from Kaunas. He already had experience working with foreign companies, in combination with excellent English skills and an engineering background. At that time, Baltisches Haus would search for premises that could be effectively adapted for shopping and set up stores in them.
“I suggested, maybe we should try building them ourselves?” Ignas recalls as the moment in time a couple of decades ago. The shareholders were happy with the new employee’s ideas and Baltisches Haus entered a new stage with the new store in Šilainiai, Kaunas.
Another project related to his home city he remembers well was the reconstruction of the restaurant Žalias Kalnas. After buying the preserved heritage building in front of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ following difficult negotiations, work started and the company was terrified.
“It was probably the most difficult and most expensive project – an extremely complex structure, everything terribly neglected – we removed one-and-a-half tons of rubbish,” he recalls.
The work exceeded all planned expenses, giving both Ignas and the company plenty of worries, but eventually the reconstruction was successfully completed and a store has been operating there since then.
In general, Ignas is pleased that no Baltisches Haus structures have faced unsuccessful engineering solutions or disasters, and he has always received support from the company’s founders, even in the most difficult of times.
“Relations with the executives are of the greatest value at work. In that respect I was lucky because my colleagues are very understanding and well-meaning. In other companies, talking with the shareholders is an extraordinary event, but we communicate constantly,” says Ignas.
“We have worked together on projects, drawing them up and discussing them. When you don’t look at an employee from above but rather treat him as an equal, he is highly motivated.”
Baltisches Haus has been growing for 23 years, sometimes very fast. One of the most impressive expansion periods was 2004.
“There was a time when I was working on a dozen new projects at the same time,” says architect Jūratė Lent.
She smiles that after graduating from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University she felt on firm ground, but now, looking back, she understands that it was her place of work that was the best school.
Today, the architect, very familiar with the specifics of shops and shopping centres, also draws up plans for clinics and car washes, as the company’s range of activities expands. She says that interesting and evolving experiences for her are one of the most important criteria for great work.
She is particularly proud of the latest ‘baby’ of Baltisches Haus – the ŽALI shopping centre, which opened this spring. This is the first supermarket and shopping centre in Lithuania that meets the highest ecological standards, designed using the latest BIM technologies.
Jūratė was responsible for its certification in accordance with BREEAM international standards for sustainable buildings and is delighted to have not only contributed to the birth of this unique building but also had the opportunity to learn more about international cutting-edge design practices.
She also mentions other no less special projects – Studlendas in Klaipėda, probably the only shopping centre in the country that has a predominantly university clientele, as well as Link Molėtų in Vilnius, as she contributed to this project from the very first touches and later tested herself as the organizer of the opening event.
“On the other hand, it is equally important for me to work where there is a strong value background. The founders of Baltisches Haus are a personal model for me of how to stay honest and fair, regardless of the circumstances. This is naturally transferred to the team – it has great people and it’s a huge pleasure both to work with them and to celebrate company get-togethers,” says Lent.
New page in history
Many employees at Baltisches Haus have been working there now for more than ten years. The team’s size has also been stable for a long time, stretching to about three dozen.
“The fact that we have a small number of employees, as a family-owned company, determines our attitudes toward people. Whenever we look for a new team member we first see whether our values match,” says Audrius Masionis, head of Baltisches Haus.
“We appreciate corporate culture, enabling us to be productive and creative. The whole philosophy of our business is based on the principle of long-term value creation, both in working with our partners and employees, and in actively maintaining relationships with the communities where we are developing real estate projects.”
Systems development project manager Lukas Pukinskas, who joined Baltisches Haus in 2014, was the first new employee at the company after a five-year break. He travels to work from Kaunas every day, but it’s not a big problem – it takes just a little more time than for his colleagues in Vilnius, while the inconvenience is more than offset by the advantages of the job.
First of all, there’s the opportunity to cover a wide range of areas. That may seem like a lot of trouble, and Lukas admits there is some, but it’s also an opportunity to learn a lot and get to know the professionals in his field and be proud to be the first to open new doors.
“For example, we’re currently developing a project for the integration of payment cards into a fast-charge electric vehicle station. It’s the first project of its kind not only in Lithuania but in Europe. While working with ŽALI, we did what we’d never done before and had the opportunity to test new processes and technologies that we would use in the future. When you see the results of your work every day, and they’re used by a lot of people, it’s a very good feeling,” Lukas says.
He adds that he, like most Baltisches Haus team members, tends to work quietly and enjoy when the company’s unique projects speak for themselves.
Article published in Business Class magazine (November 2018 issue).
Following a month-long renovation of “Iki”, shopping and service centre located in Jurbarkas, Dariaus and Girėno str. 25, opened its doors to the visitors.
“Iki”, the biggest lessee in the shopping and service centre, became more spacious, expanded its assortment and modernized equipment. A brand new separate organic production section was opened in the store.
“Camelia” pharmacy and flower shop will continue to operate in the object located in the centre of the city. After the renovation, for the convenience of shoppers, Perlas terminal was installed offering money transfer and service fee payment options.
This Baltisches Haus object was opened in Jurbarkas in September 2008.
As the new school year unfolds, Baltisches Haus has renewed its Cooperation Agreement with Klaipėda University. This year, the company will be awarding a nominal scholarship to the university’s most gifted student for exceptional achievements in the scientific field.
Third and fourth year Bachelor’s students of the biomedical, humanitarian, physical, social and technological sciences will be eligible for a €2000 scholarship for one academic year.
The nominal scholarship will be awarded based on the student’s achievements of the previous year.
We are extremely happy about the acknowledgement by Balsiai School, knowing that our help was useful in improving the psychological climate at the school. Psychologist Evalda Karmaza helped the students to open up and talk, acknowledge their families’ problems, and realise that it is possible to lead a different kind of life, direct one’s life towards different kinds of choices, and set higher goals for oneself. We realise this is only a small contribution in the Lithuania-wide scheme of the needs of schools; however, we hope that this initiative will spread further and lead to more companies supporting and nourishing this initial tradition. Raising a responsible and self-confident generation with the right focus requires a stable psychological foundation. If this foundation is not present in the family, the children will definitely find it at Balsiai School.
Info about Balsiai School http://www.balsiupm.lt/
During the weekend, all cyclists gathered in SSC “Žali”. The first bike park in Vilnius was opened here, better known as “Pump Track” among cyclists.
Special 222 meter long track is suitable for cyclists of all ages and skills. However, roller skate, scooter and skateboard enthusiasts will definitely find what to do here as the track consists of small and higher hills and various turns to be enjoyed by them.
Today, at the conference Personnel 2018, the year’s most desirable employers were announced and awarded. An article in the business daily “Verslo žinios” reveals that this year the employers were selected using a totally different methodology: “The winners were selected according to various financial and brand awareness/reputation indicators instead of relying on public voting.”
Around 2,500 companies were rated, of which the ten best large enterprises (over 250 employees) and small enterprises (202-250 employees) were chosen. Companies that made it into the Top 10 were included in the Mediaskopas UAB survey. The reputations in the media of these companies as employers was evaluated.
Source: www.vz.lt
For more information, read and view the winners in the Photo Gallery “Most Desirable Employer 2018”
The recently opened SSC Žali in Balsiai never ceases to amaze. This time the focus is on pedestrians, and in order to ensure their safety a 3D crossing has been designed. At a certain angle it looks like it’s floating, with the best 3D image seen from the first traffic lane. This is the second crossing of its kind in Vilnius and the first in the vicinity of a shopping centre installed to ensure the safety of pedestrians. We hope that the crossing will heighten the attention of drivers and that pedestrians will feel safer when crossing the street.
Soon a playground will be opened near SSC Žali, the installation of which has followed principles of safety, uniqueness and ecology. The equipment for the playground was made of debarked robinia wood, full of natural colours and shapes. This wood will not only withstand children’s games but also bring the green energy of nature.
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On Friday, the winners of the Lithuanian BIM Project 2018 competition organized by Skaitmeninė statyba VšĮ together with the Lithuanian Builders Association were announced. During the Resta exhibition, the strongest Lithuanian companies presented their achievements in using Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies. The shopping and service centre ŽALI received the majority of votes of the commission in the category BIM Public Buildings. ŽALI not only brought victory to Baltisches Haus, the project’s developer, but also became an example of how the principles of the development of commercial buildings can change.
The competent commission assessed the BIM projects according to various criteria. The focus was put on the complexity and detail of the BIM models, including their quality and organization. In total, 17 projects participated in the competition in seven categories. SSC ŽALI, which opened at the end of March in the Balsiai suburb of the Lithuanian capital, was recognized as being one of the two most difficult BIM projects implemented this year, consisting of both a commercial building and infrastructure.
According to Baltisches Haus Director Audrius Masionis, the fact that only one shopping centre project from Lithuania competed in the BIM Public Buildings category among administrative and office buildings shows a lack of inclination in the country to apply smart technologies to a greater extent.
“Several years ago, we set ourselves the goal of building the future shopping centre. This meant we had to think outside the box and show that things can be different: more efficient, smarter and greener. BIM technology was an obvious choice. But even in this respect we challenged ourselves. Together with the team, we decided to develop the most detailed BIM model to be applied not only at the design stage, as is common, but also during the shopping centre’s construction and building maintenance processes,” Mr Masionis said.
According to him, the main reasons for choosing BIM were an attempt to avoid design errors, to develop a clear project management model, to prepare a highly detailed project and to obtain estimates that are as accurate as possible. Later, these detailed technical and work projects helped in carrying out the construction works, while the platform developed was of assistance in the operative coordination and smooth and transparent surveillance of the construction process.
Ten different teams and 100 unique consumers participated in the SSC ŽALI design stage and developed not only a BIM model for the building but also models for the entire land plot, surrounding streets, new ring road and outdoor engineering networks. It is not by chance that the project has been characterized by the wealth of information involved: from specific technical information about the materials, technical data and physical and chemical properties of the objects that comprise the building, to information about the manufacturers, suppliers and other minor data.
A detailed model enabled the developers to make decisions on essential building solutions, including those related to optimal construction and energy efficiency aspects. An analytical object model prepared according to the actual parameters and the situation analysis results obtained as a consequence created the opportunity to assess the interdependence of the engineering, construction and architectural planned solutions, predict the operating costs of the future building and identify critical points at the design stage. All of this was invaluable information that helped to ultimately develop an efficient and environmentally friendly building.
ŽALI is facing the final challenge, i.e. an operating model that will be fully prepared within a month. It is expected that this model will be the first of its kind in Lithuania. In the BIM operating model, each building element has a separate lifecycle, so specific operational and maintenance rules are assigned to each element.
Another distinctive feature of the shopping centre is the use of smart sensory and automated equipment management technologies linked to the operating model. These technologies analyse the real-time situation and micro-climate parameters and make various decisions on energy efficiency and cost savings. For this purpose, all statistical databases are integrated into the model. Moreover, relevant information is broken down according to various aspects. Special sensors monitor the air supply rate, CO2 emissions and possible roofing damage. In addition, remote accounting data sensors for electricity, heating, air conditioning and water are operated.
“Many people contributed to this project. It was time consuming and involved many lessons learnt. Even though we managed to develop a complex model of unprecedented graphic and information detail, the Lithuanian market is still behind with respect to the many BIM possibilities, for example in terms of the lack of specialists and experience and the rejection of new innovations. I understand that the ŽALI project has set a high standard for future shopping centres, but it is only such pilot projects that stimulate the improvement of all professionals in the area of digital construction,” Baltisches Haus Director Audrius Masionis commented.
Audrius Masionis, the new director of the company Baltisches Haus, follows this approach in business. An interview with Audrius Masionis in “Verslo žinios” about the new phase for the company following the transaction between IKI and Rimi, the uniqueness of the recently opened future shopping and service centre “Žali” adapting cultural heritage to today’s needs and other projects already implemented or being developed.
Read more in “The manager of IKI stores sees new opportunities following the transaction”
28 March saw the opening of the long-awaited “Žali” service and shopping centre, which is the first building in Lithuania to be built according to the international sustainable building standard BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). The long-matured idea of sustainable architecture and construction and, to the maximum possible extent, of an environmentally friendly building, has finally been implemented. Harmonious collaboration between the Balsiai community, architects, designers, environmentalists, merchants and other specialists, greatly contributed to the realization of this concept.
We would like to invite everyone to join in the 4 days of the “Žali” opening celebrations. Come and see for yourself! The festivities have just begun!
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It is our great pleasure to announce that the long-awaited opening of the future “Žali” shopping centre is just around the corner – on 28th March! We would like to invite everyone, big and small, to participate on that occasion, as we are celebrating the opening with music, gifts and delicious treats! During the opening ceremony, there will be lots of surprises: a competition between robots, roast-turkey tasting, presentation of new products, beauty consultations, music lessons, presentation of electric scooters, free coffee, a treasure hunt and many more gifts and other entertainment. Everyone will have fun, as the opening festivities will last for 4 days! You just need to come, and the great time is on us!
You will find detailed information and the event programme at https://www.facebook.com/ateitiescentrasbalsiuosezali/
For the past 10 years, the business newspaper “Verslo žinios” has been compiling a list of the Top 1000 strongest companies in Lithuania and Baltisches Haus has been included in the ranking more than once.
The rating for the list is developed by comparing companies operating in the same sector with respect to six indicators: profit and turnover, annual change in profit and turnover, profitability and the average wage. Companies are only included in the VŽ TOP 1000 companies list if they earned profit during the respective period, have more than 10 employees and maintain an average wage that exceeds the average within the sector. This time, 788 companies met the criteria and were divided into 10 sectors according to business activity, and were then rated in each sector separately.
Source: http://www.vz.lt/lietuvos-verslo-lyderiai/2017/dalyvaujancios-imones
For more information, read:
IKI Shopping and Leisure Centre Žali will open its door very soon, while works are now in full swing both inside and outside the centre. Žali spaces are being completed with important elements like a puzzle – from cash registers and refrigerators to independent bicycle repair centre. Life will soon be vibrant here together with upcoming spring. We are in particular happy for being able to surprise our young visitors of the SLC Žali. A separate play area is installed at the centre for the joy of children's discoveries and adventures. Žali playground is special as all facilities are made of debarked locust embracing the colours, shapes and strengths of nature in it. Despite being flexible, it is also very solid and durable. This tree will patiently withstand various games of children and will colour them in green energy of nature. We would like to invite you to have a look to what has already been done.
The future shopping centre Žali in Balsiai, Vilnius will be opened and invite its visitors from the 28th of March.
For more information, please click : http://ttps//www.facebook.com/ateitiescentrasbalsiuosezali/
Trade school celebrates and is proud of its students, and, today, we would like to introduce another student of the school – Mindaugas. While still in secondary school, Mindaugas became interested in carving, enrolled to trade school and, in 2017, successfully acquired carpenter’s speciality. A famous folk saying states “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” and Mindaugas is a great example! Mindaugas works in Rūdiškiai forest district and is responsible for the renewal of recreation sites in the territory of the forest district, production and construction of log arbours, and finishing of recreational sites. Last year was very special for Mindaugas as he created his first mini sculpture park. The goal of the sculpture park located in Ropėjai forest district is to introduce the general public to the profession of a forester, associated concerns and goals. At the park, one will be able to learn of spring and summer works performed by the foresters, also, activities in autumn and winter, as well as information on when and why the forest may be felled, thinned or replanted, also, about the protection of endangered plant, animal or bird species.
We would like to suggest marking this location in your family’s leisure calendar and promise you will have great time and learn something new about the forest.
Best of luck to Mindaugas! We are looking forward to his new works. As for everyone else, we would like to wish a fun trip and discoveries while wandering the paths of the park in Trakai region forest!
The park is located in the territory of Ropėjai forest district, on the 26th Vilnius–Druskininkai road kilometre.
http://www.facebook.com/pg/m.vcarvings.medzio.droziniai/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1934109750172203
On January 18, shopping and service centre “ŽALI” located in capital’s Balsiai micro-district was awarded interim design state certificate and a rating “Very Good”. In spring, when the shopping centre opens its door to the visitors, BREEAM experts will provide the final rating of the building.
Real property project developer and manager Baltisches Haus received a confirmation from international BREEAM centre in the United Kingdom that SSC “ŽALI” project complied with BREEAM standards. Swedish company COWI AB, an accredited BREEAM assessor, accepted thoroughly prepared reports on shopping centre design state without any remarks.
“This advance rating is very welcomed news. “ŽALI” project is gaining notoriety internationally, which provides not only confidence to our team but also motivates to successfully complete installation works”, Audrius Masionis, the Director of Baltisches Haus, tells.
The goal of the developer is to create future shopping centre which would preserve the environment, be convenient and human-friendly. This is demonstrated by separate project part BREEAM ratings. In the category of new construction buildings for retail purposes, the score of SSC “ŽALI” was 64.4 per cent out of 100 possible. Several aspects that received excellent rating should be mentioned, for example, environment pollution management (86%), waste management (80%), low energy costs (76%), water consumption from own well (67%), measures for ensuring employee and visitor health and wellbeing (57%), among others.
Further building compliance assessment work in order to award final BREEAM certificate will commence following the acceptance of the building by the state commission. It is expected SSC “ŽALI” will comply with all design requirements and will be awarded at least the same BREEAM rating.
BREEAM is the most widely used standard for assessing the impact of sustainable buildings on the environment and people and certification system for rating buildings according to 48 criteria, including energy efficiency, health and wellbeing, environment pollution, waste disposal, ecology and land use, building management and materials used.
The beginning of the New Year marks the launch of one of the new projects at Baltisches Haus UAB. From January 2, for the convenience of its customers, the Baltisches Haus UAB Customer Information and Support Centre launched operations. On calling the phone number 8 700 400 20, all issues will immediately be registered and passed on to the employees responsible for solving them.
The objective of the Information and Support Centre is to hear, understand and respond to problems faced by customers as quickly as possible. So, to show our gratitude for their long-term partnership and patience, we kindly ask our customers to contact us via the new phone number 8 700 400 20 (facility maintenance in rented premises, uncertainties regarding issued invoices or administration of rental agreements, and also any recommendations or suggestions).
Please note that charges when calling 8 700 400 20 will not change (charged according to fees determined by your mobile network operator).
Since Saulius Buteliauskas became the manager of the investment portfolio of Baltisches Haus UAB’s founders the Ortiz brothers, Audrius Masionis has been appointed as the new director of Baltisches Haus UAB, effective from 1 January 2018.
The newly appointed director has been working for the company since 2005 and for the last few years occupied the position of real estate development manager. Audrius Masionis has a Bachelor’s degree in public administration from Vytautas Magnus University and a Master’s degree in law from Mykolas Romeris University. In addition, he graduated from the Baltic Management Institute (BMI) where he acquired a Master’s degree in business management.
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me and responsibly accept this challenge. It is a great privilege to lead a company that was recognized as a business generating the highest added value for society, shareholders and employees in Lithuania in 2017. We are going to consistently and purposefully continue working in order to meet the expectations of society, shareholders and employees,” Audrius Masionis said.
Saulius Buteliauskas, who has successfully worked as director of Baltisches Haus UAB up until now, will remain an active member of the board at Baltisches Haus UAB.
We are excited to share some great news. The company Baltisches Haus is once again on the list of Lithuania’s strongest companies.
“STRONGEST IN LITHUANIA 2017” is a certificate issued by the credit bureau Creditinfo, presented to financially reliable Lithuanian companies and their management. The certificate validates the excellent credit history of companies and their directors.
For all information related to the criteria for the certification of companies and their managers, visit
http://creditinfo.lt/stipriausi-lietuvoje/stipriausi-lietuvoje/
Less Car Troubles is the motto at Melga UAB, inviting everyone concerned about their cars to visit this exceptional auto service. And from now on, the burden will be reduced not only for car owners but also for anyone taking care of customer cars. On December 1, the modern car parts centre “Viskas automobiliui” also opened under the same roof. In this shopping area operated by the company Eoltas, you can find a wide range of spare parts and car care products for engines and chassis of cars manufactured in Europe, Japan and the USA. This new car service and parts centre located at Dubijos Street 34 is equipped in accordance with the very latest technologies and the most stringent requirements. Highly qualified and experienced professionals will help to make the right choice and guarantee the best customer service.
Best of luck to the companies Eoltas UAB and Melga UAB!
Know where to go if you have car problems?
The right address for problem solutions – Dubijos St. 34, Šiauliai!
In spring, “ŽALI” shopping and service centre will invite the public to try out the new “Pump Track” bike park. This special track adapted to cyclists of various age groups and skill levels has already been installed in Balsiai and will be opened in March at the same time as the shopping centre.
The bike park, designed at the initiative of Baltisches Haus, consists of turns, low and higher jumps, and different slopes for developing speed. Various plants will be planted in the bike-park surroundings to make it attractive and set out its limits. According to the authors, everyone who can control their body in the right way can finish the entire track without pedalling. “ŽALI” bike park consists of two sections: a small track for the little ones (length: 33 m, area: 134 m²), located near the children’s playground, and a large track for passionate wheeled-vehicle buffs of all age groups and skill levels. Its length: 222 m, area: 600 m². This asphalt track is unique as it is available for anyone wanting to try it out, unlike similar skateboarding parks. The track welcomes all visitors regardless of their skill level or vehicle used.
The entire article and interview with the project designers can be found at http://zalibalsiai.lt/pirmoji-sostines-velotrasa-nusitiese-balsiuose/
We would like to share some exciting news. Together with the upcoming winter, the festively decorated Žalia stotelė is coming to the town of Marijampolė. Following an intensive three months of installation works, unused basement premises have been transformed into facilities suitable for selling garden supplies. Marijampolė’s gardeners can finally enjoy all available advantages and learn about the latest trends offered at Žalia stotelė, which is located at the address Vilkaviškio g. 72! Every amateur and professional gardener will be able to find all they need for their gardens, allotments or flowerbeds. But the store isn’t just open for gardeners – everyone searching for something to make their home cosier or more interesting, or looking for presents for their loved ones, will not be disappointed by a visit to the store as the choice of products is incredible. Even if you don’t fall into any of the above categories, drop in anyway and indulge in the Christmas spirit, which cannot be imaged without an evergreen fir tree with the enchanting aroma of the forest!
This year will be the 20th time that the autumnal Vilnius musical skies will be tinged by the glow of accordion sounds. This jubilee accordion festival, which has been taking place in Lithuania since 1986, will celebrate its anniversary with eleven exclusive November concerts and will host musical meetings with legendary stage masters as well as younger talents.
The opening of the festival is scheduled for November 10th at the Church of St Catherine with a charming accordion fairy from Finland, Johanna Juhola. Like her compatriot Kimmo Pohjonen, who a couple of years ago staged one of the most memorable concerts in the history of the festival, Johanna expresses her creative ideas not only by way of diversely processed accordion sounds but also through surrealist images, which she calls her imaginary friends. Her creative imagination merges into an organic sound together with Argentine and Finnish tango, the aesthetics of pop music, Nordic melancholy and spellbinding imagery. This performer’s charisma has already been appreciated by a huge European audience – in 2007, with the piece Fantasiatango, she was entrusted to open up the Eurovision Song Content in Helsinki. Johanna Juhola is an inspiring example of how even the most daredevil ideas, if implemented boldly, can reach huge audiences.
On November 11th, the Great Hall at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre will host a performance by Bartosz Kolsut, one of the young leaders of contemporary Polish accordion music. Performing solo, he will appear in two roles – as a performer of academic music and as a representative of the entertainment genre, and he will use different styles by deploying two different instruments.
Those who long for the romantic sighs of tango will be delighted with the wonderful programme Mare Calmo (Calm Sea). On November 14th, at the Church of St Catherine, it will be performed by an inspirational duet from Italy – bandoneon player Daniele di Bonaventura and pianist Giovanni Cessarelli. These musicians’ authorial compositions are permeated with emotional melodies, passion and lyrics – what’s known as the essence of tango. Yet they overstep the line drawn by the famous tango revolutionary Piazzolla and create a kind of non‑cosmopolitan tango; their music is fused with Italianess. The stinging feelings of tango are expressed not so much by fierce rhythms as by tuneful melody. Wandering across the scenes of the most famous jazz festivals and performing together with the stars, Daniele di Bonaventura is distinguished namely by the tuneful sound of his bandoneon. It’s hard to imagine who could better convey the vibrations of the soul of a person who is staring at the sea...
Meanwhile, on November 16th, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Great Hall will host something really cosmopolitan – a virtual and live Vilnius-Copenhagen-Helsinki concert, arranged together with the academy’s Music Innovation Studies Centre, the Royal Danish Academy of Music and Helsinki Sibelius Music Academy. The concert will pulsate with topical accordion music, which not for the first time will build musical bridges between Lithuanian and international higher music schools.
The ideas of contemporary accordion music will also materialise at a November 19th concert at the Vytautas Kasiulis Museum, where two of the most distinctive performers of the younger generation will play, Tadas Motiečius and Agnė Dūkštaitė. It seems that the spirit of artistic quests by one of Lithuania’s most interesting painters, Vytautas Kasiulis, blends perfectly with the discoveries of accordion music, as for several years accordion concerts have been held here among his exhibited canvases, attracting quite a crowd of listeners.
The name Paris, the city where Vytautas Kasiulis triumphed, will be pronounced more than once at a November 20th concert at the Town Hall (Rotušė). Two musicians from the French capital will reveal the treasures of their own musical quests. Accordionist Jean Louis Matinier and guitarist Kevin Saddiki have performed joint and separate concerts with World Jazz projects at a variety of world festivals, so their performance in Vilnius should offer a grand bouquet of rhythms, accords and moods from the world’s most exotic corners. And although their programme is thoroughly arranged, the performers are not lacking in spontaneity – every time, their performances are electrified with the excitement of surprise, as if having met for the first time to play music together on a bridge over the Seine. The guitarist’s impressive list of travel itineraries suggests that his instrument will speak not merely with the sound of a guitar.
On November 21st, at the Church of St Catherine, we will hear another duet playing spontaneous music, this time from Italy. Back on the Lithuanian stage after a break of several years, Italian jazz grandee Luciano Biondini together with trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso will play Italian improvisational music seasoned with Mediterranean spices, collectively solving some jazz standards’ intriguing puzzles. Accordionist Biondini’s musical style is already known to the Lithuanian public, whereas the biography of creative works of one of the world’s most versatile jazz trumpeters is worth a separate mention. The name Fabrizio Bosso glows brightly on jazz concert posters and brightens up the work of performers of such superstars as Zucchero at the Sanremo Music Festival. The programme of the concert in Vilnius rests on pieces of work included into the duet's album Face to Face.
On November 22nd, the Great Hall of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre will be shaken by the premieres of new pieces performed by the ensemble ContemporACCO and the students at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Department of Contemporary Music. It will be a naturally charged event, since it will be the oeuvre of young people that will be played by young people. Hence, new will be merged with old, the known with the unknown, and these opposites tend to produce a strong explosive mix! Listeners who are fond of novelties will have something to discover, guaranteed by ContemporACCO leader Raimondas Sviackevičius, who also holds the helm of this festival in his hands. Following this students’ spree, the action will then move to the club Tamsta, where musical escapades will resound from an innovative accordionist from Poland, Buttonhacker. This flamboyant youngster plunges the sounds of its instrument into club aesthetics, employing a loop station and diverse effects.
The triumph of solidity at the 20th International Accordion Festival is going to be a recital by legendary German accordionist Stefan Hussong at the Organum Concert Hall on November 23rd. Critics assert that Hussong is the finest interpreter of JS Bach from the times of Glenn Gould and plays everything in such a manner that his accordion may well be deemed the most inspiring and viral instrument in the world. He will stage a performance in Vilnius en route to his tour in Beijing, so his programme may well be brimming with Oriental elements. He will perform samples of music from the oeuvre of John Cage and the 10th-century traditional Japanese music Gagaku, as well as Stravinsky and contemporary composers.
The festival will close at the Church of St Catherine on November 24th with a quartet from Sweden playing rock, folk and other more indescribable things – the Lars Karlsson Band. Around now for 20 years, the band has successfully and more than once hit the summits of the Swedish charts, and the most amazing thing is that nobody’s singing, the principal voice being... a diatonic accordion, the melodies of which can make even a stone sing along. Before that, no instrumental music had ever managed to cross over onto Swedish radio. The composer of most of the band’s pieces is Lars Karlsson, and at the concert in Vilnius the band will play music from their newest album that marks the band’s 20th anniversary.
The XX International Accordion Festival Vilnius 2017: Let's probe deeper and dive into the pleasures of listening!
All information about the event can be found here http://akordeonofestivalis.lt/
Looking forward to seeing you at the concerts of the XX International Accordion Festival!
We want to share some great news. The seventh store of premises managed by Baltisches Haus UAB and the result of outstanding ongoing collaboration between Baltisches Haus and “Žalia stotelė” opened in Kėdainiai on October 24. The company “Žalia stotelė”, which has become very popular with gardeners, is expanding rapidly throughout Lithuania, and the store in Kėdainiai is the biggest one to date with an area exceeding 500sqm. Professional and amateur gardeners are welcome at the store and will find not only seeds, fertilizers and other products necessary for the garden but can also get advice on matters of interest and valuable professional tips. “Žalia stotelė” is actively increasing the spectrum of goods available too, and every visitor is bound to find something to surprise either themselves or their friends and family. The store offers décor and landscaping goods for beautiful gardens and also home interiors. The dazzling Christmas and New Year holidays are just around the corner and anyone looking for a unique Christmas tree, festive mood or gifts for loved ones are welcome at the “Žalia stotelė” store at J. Basanavičiaus Street 80.
The British newspaper The Telegraph has published an article about ten cities around the world that are crazy about street art. The graffiti on the façade of the building belonging to Baltisches Haus proudly takes top position in the list. The art became an integral part of the image of Kaunas some time ago and still attracts attention, and not only from tourists.
The author writes in the article that the Temporary Capital of Lithuania is serious about street art, as dozens of pieces of graffiti are positioned all over the city’s public spaces. The Brazilian artists who call themselves Os Gemeos, twin brothers who happen to have Lithuanian ancestry, left an original work of art in Kaunas on the building where an art gallery is located.
Manama, the capital of Bahrain, São Paulo in Brazil, Nuuk in Greenland, Redfern in Sydney and Guam, an unincorporated territory of the United States of America, were also included in the list of cities. Accra in Ghana, Honolulu in Hawaii, Lincoln in England and Florence, the cradle of Italian art, also made the list.
Full article available:
http://m.kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/miesto-pulsas/kaunas-tarp-desimties-pasaulio-miestu-pamisusiu-del-gatves-meno-829858
Original article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/surprising-street-art-capitals/
H2AUTO car wash plants are springing up in Lithuania like mushrooms after the rain. This time, we are celebrating together with the people of Kaunas.
They will now be able to try out the new services at a car wash plant at the address Šiaurės pr. 2. As at all H2AUTO contactless self-service car wash stations, this one has a 5-programme washing system and the customer will be able to control its duration and price.
A range of additional service zones are also installed and ready for use at all H2AUTO car wash plants: Powerful car vacuum cleaners, winter or summer (depending on the season) windshield fluid replenishment machines, car carpet washing machines (new in Lithuania!) and cleaning cloth vending machines (new in Lithuania!).
Come and try it out for yourself!
http://www.h2auto.lt/
Structural design using BIM (Building Information Modelling) 3D technology is not something new. The novelty is to operate structures using the same 3D model. It is true that construction works of this kind are almost non-existent in Lithuania, and therefore the “ŽALI” shopping and service centre is an exceptional case.
The general contractor, Eikos statyba UAB, which is carrying out the work on SSC “ŽALI”, is one of several Lithuanian construction companies actually using BIM technology in the construction process. Justinas Augustinas, the project coordinator and company engineer involved in BIM projects, provided more information about the practical BIM processes currently being implemented in Balsiai. According to him, the real work with BIM starts when the 3D model ends, as spatial modelling has been used for quite a while now in designing buildings, but is an entirely new experience as regards drawings for construction work.
Project Mistakes are Eliminated
As J. Augustinas pointed out, the main advantage of the BIM model from the perspective of a builder is the possibility of detecting and removing incorrect construction or communication intersections in drawings. When working with regular 2D drawings, undesirable intersections would become apparent only during the construction work. The work would then have to be suspended and defects removed on site: for example, inconsistencies in the overlay height or the intersections of building communications (pipelines, cables, etc.) in unexpected locations. Earlier, these situations used to be everyday occurrences in construction work. Now they are avoidable. In addition, removing such intersections in projects is significantly cheaper than on a construction site, and the work is therefore performed faster and more smoothly.
The Drawing Contains More Information
If a spatial BIM model is to be relied on during construction, it is important that it contain additional significant information. According to the Eikos statyba engineer, a spatial drawing must first of all contain more comprehensive information about the quantities and properties of the materials used. For example, information about the material’s resistance to bending and compression, its surface texture – ability to reflect light or absorb sound, and also other physical properties as necessary. The smart drawing thus enables one to see the selected and required materials, to order them immediately and to manage quantities.
Increased Work Efficiency
Eikos statyba only recently started working on the “ŽALI” BIM project – in March. During this short time, the company personnel have been engaged in a learning process to make working with BIM as efficient as possible. J. Augustinas emphasized that the main challenge was to coordinate the calendar for the construction schedule and construction project financial flows in real time. By using the “ŽALI” BIM model, Eikos statyba employees learned to plan construction schedules, to organize the demand for materials and ordering quantities, to predict flows, and in addition to save internal resources.
J. Augustinas listed the advantages: “Now every day we can see in real time all the work that is done and under way. This makes work easier for our company project managers, as they no longer need to prepare monthly reports that can now be produced by simply pressing several buttons. The most important aspect is financial graphs in reports reflecting the essential indicators of company business activity,”
In addition, a project manager can see the daily progress of construction work in the BIM model: how the project looks today, compared with project tasks, and determine whether work is being carried out according to schedule. BIM does not replace the construction management process, but it helps to prepare effectively for the construction, i.e. accurately calculate the quantities of construction materials without minimum error. Using traditional calculation methods, the quantities of materials had to be increased by 20 per cent in order to avoid shortages.
Automated Employee Control
At present, modern machinery control methods, such as a coordination system via GPS devices, have not been used in “ŽALI” construction work; however, it is planned in the near future to automate supplier transport control and accounting for employees and their working time on the construction site. Transport movement data will be related to the type and quantity of delivered materials and will be entered into the BIM model where they will be recorded as revenues or costs. Employee working time will be automatically recorded by the Personnel Department and the data will be entered into the BIM model.
An Eikos statyba specialist commented: “As general contractors, our goal in working with BIM models is to engage more subcontractors who are able to actually use the BIM model, because now the supply is very limited.”
In the future, after construction of the “ŽALI”shopping centre is completed, the most difficult stage of BIM implementation awaits: operating the building. J. Augustinas stated that: “As far as I know, no one in Lithuania has succeeded in implementing the operation of a building by using the BIM model, because more information must be uploaded into the model, and also you must have operation specialists able to use BIM. I hope the “ŽALI” project will be able to break the ice in this area.”
August 18 was not just an ordinary Friday in Alytus. From the early morning, the locals’ curiosity was piqued by the scent of delicious meat being fried and a cheerful buzz. It was a special occasion – the opening of the new Žuvintas Market, initiated and founded by Baltisches Haus UAB.
Those visiting the market’s opening celebration were sure to have a blast, with a roasted pig, gifts, prizes and surprises awaiting, as well as, of course, a huge cake.
“The citizens of Alytus will not be disappointed in our investment. We wanted to renew the building, and that’s what we did,” Modestas Grumblys, the market’s director says.
The marketplace has been substantially renovated – the windows replaced, the façade repainted, a lift installed for the convenience of the disabled, and an additional entrance constructed. A far more spacious car park with more parking spaces was built next to the market and a more convenient passage was made for the sellers bringing fresh products every morning.
The new-format market, having replaced the former IKI shop, is already set to become one of the most visited places in Alytus according to the locals gathered under its roof and the operators of diverse services and products. The Prezo bakery is now open for business, while Magomedo mėsinė (Magomedas Butcher’s), which will delight food lovers and gourmets, offers a range of meat products.
The market also houses Gintarinė vaistinė (Amber Pharmacy), Baldai, vaizdo ir garso technika (Furniture, Video and Audio Equipment), Gėlės (Flowers), XXL gėrimai (XXL Drinks) and, of course, as the market’s name Žuvintas (from the word ‘žuvis’, meaning ‘fish’) suggests, Žvejybos reikmenų parduotuvė (Fishing Store).
We are delighted that the citizens of Alytus are pleased with the new market. We hope it will not only provide quality goods and excellent service but also put everyone in a great mood.
See you at Žuvintas!
On 21/06/2017, business leaders came together at the “Lithuanian Business Awards 2017” awards ceremony organized by “Verslo žinios” and Nordea bank. During this festive event, companies that generated the highest value for shareholders, employees and society were nominated and honoured. The country’s business representatives competed in 7 categories: “Exporter of the Year”, “Employer of the Year”, “Responsible Business”, “CEO of the Year” elected by vz.lt readers, “Young CEO of the Year”, “CEO of the Year” and “Business of the Year” that was awarded to “Baltisches Haus”, UAB.
“We should thank the founders of our company for having the courage to start their business in Lithuania several decades ago. Thank you for that determination and courage. Also for the sense of responsibility and values you have instilled in your employees. This is the reason we have been able to develop a business generating value for shareholders, employees and society today,” – observed Saulius Buteliauskas, director of “Baltisches Haus”, UAB.
We are very pleased to have received this award. It is another opportunity to confirm that we are heading in the right direction and the sails are drawing correctly.
All information about the event and awards can be found here:
http://www.vz.lt/verslo-valdymas/2017/06/21/apdovanoti-verslo-lyderiai-bei-metu-ceo?utm_content=connected
Sharing some moments from annual Balsiai (Vilnius) Community Summer Festival 2017. For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win :)
Have a nice summer time
Baltisches Haus team
To obtain more information please visit: https://www.facebook.com/ateitiescentrasbalsiuosezali/
We would like to share this invitation from the Vilnius Social Club, one of our social partners, to participate in a football marathon on 2 June.
The national social campaign “For a Safe Lithuania” initiated jointly by the Vilnius Social Club and Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, invites all football fans to play football and come together as a society to minimize the marginalization of children and youth.
The football marathon will take place on 2 June 2017 from 12 pm to 8 pm near the Presidential Palace in S. Daukantas Square.
Please register! To obtain more information and the registration form visit:
http://www.vilniussocialclub.lt/futbolomaratonas/
Yesterday, visitors at RESTA, the largest construction exhibition in the Baltic countries, had a great opportunity to see the energy-efficient Žali (‘Green’) Shopping Centre project up close.
The Baltisches Haus team also participated at the exhibition with the presentation SHOPPING CENTRE ŽALI: BIM ROAD BEAUTY AND DANGERS. Our architects and engineers, who are developing the shopping centre according to the philosophy of sustainability, introduced a practical experience of BIM design technology and presented a unique opportunity for RESTA exhibition visitors to be the first to virtually explore a 3D model of the ŽALI project.
Now we are excited to share this opportunity with you. Take a look at the panoramic views of the ŽALI project (there are also instructions on how to do it):
https://www.facebook.com/ateitiescentrasbalsiuosezali/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf
On 18 April 2017, in collaboration with Baltisches Haus UAB and DELCA Invest UAB, another H2AUTO network car wash station opened in Mažeikiai, at the address Sedos St. 16a. As with all H2AUTO contactless self-service car wash stations, this new one has a 5-programme washing system whose duration and price can be controlled entirely by the customer.
H2AUTO is a fast-growing car wash network in Lithuania. Its self-service car wash stations and automatic car wash plants boasting unique design and modern technologies can be found in Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Marijampolė, Alytus, Utena, Tauragė, Kelmė and other towns and cities.
We also plan to open further car wash stations at other locations throughout Lithuania in the future.
For the first time ever, “Verslo žinios” has created a list of the top 100 Companies creating the highest value added. The private limited liability company “Baltisches Haus” made the list and is No. 9 in the ranking. According to Mrs Valiulienė, Head of the Statistics Department, value added is calculated by totalling employee wages, employer’s social insurance contribution, deterioration, and amortization values as well as economic activity profit without the financial activity result. The value added generated by large enterprises is calculated by the Statistics Department.
Read the entire article and see the Top 100 Companies in the “Verslo žinios” portal:
http://vz.lt/finansai-apskaita/2017/04/03/pirma-karta-lietuvoje--vz-skelbia-didziausia-pridetine-verte-kurianciu-imoniu-sarasa?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=naujienlaiskis-bendras
The vocational training school “Sodžiaus meistrai” is implementing a project “Carpenter Specialty Practical Training Quality Improvement and Adaptation to International Labour Market”. Implementation of this project is expected to provide the school with the opportunity to collaborate with the association “Les Ateliers des Forges” established in France. This activity will expand the school’s horizons in the context of educating and preparing young people for the modern labour market. Labour market needs, continuous improvement and the assurance of internationality motivate the pursuit of personal competence development and the renewal of educational content and methodology.
For more information, click on the following link:
http://sodziausmeistrai.lt/2017/04/03/erasmus-projektas-dailides-specialybes-praktinio-mokymo-kokybes-gerinimas-ir-pritaikymas-tarptautinei-darbo-rinkai/
It is with great enthusiasm that we share this recording of a festive charity concert “Children for Children. Dedication to the Maestro”, which took place this past Sunday, and was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of M. Rostropovich’s birth. For the third consecutive year, the country’s young talents, sponsored by the fund and alumni together with the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, gave a performance and promoted donations to the Children’s Hospital. During this event, which has already become a tradition, we were privileged to listen to prof. David Geringas, a student of Maestro M. Rostropovich and a world-acclaimed cellist.
We would be glad if you could find a moment to listen as well.
http://www.lrt.lt/mediateka/irasas/1013665724/vaikai_vaikams_dedikacija_maestro
We are delighted to announce that through the collaborative efforts of Baltisches Haus UAB and H2AUTO, two self-service car wash stations have opened in Šiauliai, at Dubijos St. 34, and in Marijampolė, at Vytauto St. 48A.
H2AUTO is a new car wash network in Lithuania providing a wide range of cleaning services. Additional service zones are available at all H2AUTO car wash stations: powerful car vacuum cleaners, winter or summer (depending on the season), windshield fluid replenishment machines, car carpet cleaning machines (new in Lithuania!) and cleaning cloth vending machines (new in Lithuania!). A new payment method, the H2AUTO card, is also on offer. The unique technology of this card allows for the convenient use of all services offered at the car wash station.
We plan to open car wash stations in Lithuania’s other towns and cities in the future.
This is the objective and credo of the vocational training school “Sodžiaus meistrai”. Established in 2003, the school was founded in collaboration with the prestigious vocational training association “Les Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France” (France) embracing the oldest European traditions of education being based on the apprenticeship method. In “Sodžiaus meistrai” school, young people may currently choose from the professions of carpenter, furniture-maker, roofer, landscaper or cook.
Eight years of close social partnership enabled the “Baltisches Haus” administration and the majority of the staff to take a closer look at the (self-) education process and contribute to the assessment of student achievement. We are pleased that a new class of professional craftsmen will graduate from the school this year. Currently, third-year carpenter specialty students are preparing intensely for the upcoming qualification exams. They are performing practical assignments in the school workshops, namely the production of wood layout models. We are extremely proud of student Paulius’s tenacious willingness to learn the carpenter’s craft and his attitude towards work. Paulius’s layout model represents a constructed frame wall with a roof structure. All roofer specialty students will use this layout model when they perform in practice by covering the roof with slates.
We would like to wish our future craftsmen success in their exams.
Baltisches Haus team
Yesterday, on 14 March, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute’s economics textbook was recognized as the best educational tool in the world. For the first time ever, the name of Lithuania was announced in the prestigious awards organized by the London Book Fair.
The success recipe for the book: teachers who became superteachers, and students who were involved as if they were playing a computer game. We wrote the textbook and created the website for teachers with the understanding that we had to compete for the attention of sixteen-year-olds with the rest of the world, social networks, advertisements, and events.
Baltisches Haus staff congratulates the LFMI team involved in creating the economics textbook.
We would like to wish them never to lose their originality and to keep their place among the best!
Read more at: http://lzinios.lt/lzinios/Mokslas-ir-svietimas/lietuviskas-vadovelis-apie-ekonomika-geriausias-pasaulyje/240404
The fact that Rugby is becoming more popular in Lithuania attracted the attention of our “Baltisches Haus” team. This time, we would like to celebrate the great work and achievements of the oldest active rugby club “Geležinis Vilkas” (founded in 1963), which became our social partner in 2014.
Founders of the rugby club remember that the beginnings of rugby in Lithuania were not easy, but they had plenty of enthusiasm and stubbornness. At the sole initiative of the club founders, 2 abandoned stadiums in Vilnius, located at the Verkiai Special School and Vingis Park, were renovated and adapted to the sport of rugby without any state or municipal support! Currently, the “Geležinis Vilkas” club brings together 130 rugby players. Teams of all age groups - children and veterans - participate in competitions.
As “Geležinis Vilkas“ celebrates its 55th anniversary next year, we would like to wish them firm commitment and many victories in the future, and invite all those interested in this team sport to visit their Facebook account:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/regbioklubasgv/notes/?ref=page_internal\
The recently renovated building of IKI Gardino2 Supermarket gained recognition of the international, world-famous company Promesh GmbH. The latter company chose the supermarket as expositional example of the application of its products. In the latest catalogue of the company, the originally-shaped building of IKI Gardino2 Supermarket is depicted as a successful and original facade design solution, in which the innovative products of Promesh GmbH – the wall of stainless steel ring mesh was applied. In daytime, 500 sq.m. aluminium 3D wall attracts attention by its own natural reflections, while in the dark hours, it gets even more impressive: thanks to the integrated LED technologies, the stainless steel ring mesh gives an impression of an ever-changing facade, the wall lighting transforms into clearly visible curtain of soft colours. The IKI Gardino2 Supermarket designed by architect Marius Mateika and Architektūros ateljė UAB is exhibited next to the other buildings that have gained numerous appreciations by the architects, such as: Swarovski Museum in Austria, and Number 1 Blight Street office building of unique architecture in Australia.
The staff of “Baltisches Haus” is extremely pleased to congratulate another group of children that completed the programme on safe behaviour near the water and successfully passed a swimming test. Children from the Balsiai Basic School of Pakruojis district took a training course consisting of eighteen swimming lessons. The intensive training sessions helped to develop physical skills, endurance, coordination, and reaction. In addition to swimming techniques, the children were taught safe behaviour in the water or near bodies of water. This year, 23 primary school pupils from the Balsiai Basic School received certificates for their hard work during swimming lessons and can be proud knowing that they can now swim too.
“Baltisches Haus” started the initiative “Let’s Learn to Swim” in 2014. 46 pupils from this swimming school started a safer summer that year. During the following year, we are proud to acknowledge that all the schoolchildren from Balsiai, including students in their final years, learned to swim.
We are very pleased that we could contribute to the future safety of Lithuanian children and congratulate the little champions of the Balsiai Basic School!
A new IKI supermarket was opened on 21 December, in Vilkaviškis. It is the third and largest IKI supermarket in the town. The new building of 1 634 sq.m. houses not only IKI but also TELE-2 showroom, Kamelija pharmacy, betting shop, and flower shop. The supermarket was designed by architect Gintas Vieversys, who has already designed a few IKI supermarkets. Next to the new supermarket, a car parking lot accommodating 100 cars was constructed. Commercial places next to the building were renovated where florists can sell flowers. Baltisches Haus company strongly supports the biophilia idea, therefore this spring, this part of the town, which has already changed unrecognisably, will be further embellished: decorative grass will be seeded, trees and other plants will be planted.
It must be noted that the new supermarket in Vilkaviškis is also a kind of the record for Baltisches Haus UAB. The supermarket was built in two months which is a record-breaking term for the company!
We are pleased with our partnership and congratulate IKI, Palink UAB and our own team of Baltisches Haus.
On 16 December 2016, a newly modernized shopping and service complex was opened in Kėdainiai, J. Basanavičiaus g. 89A. The following stores were opened in this shopping pavilion named “Basanavičiaus 89” – pharmacy “Camelia”, liquor store “XXL gėrimai”, and stationery store “Charlot”. Three clothing stores “Fashionista”, “etikete J”, and “Ananda” located in this complex invite their visitors to keep up with the fashion, while those with unique style may choose from a wide range of fabrics, knitting yarn, and haberdashery goods in A. Skorupskienė’s store.
Renewed auto and tire service “Automontas” located in the other part of the shopping pavilion “Basanavičiaus 89” offers wheel alignment, changing, and repair services. And to avoid being bored, visitors of the tire service and the pavilion are invited to please their tummies with delicious “Piko pica” pizzas or crispy chicken bites.
We congratulate our customers on the opening and would like to invite everyone to visit shopping pavilion “Basanavičiaus 89”.
On 12 December, the shopping centre at Didlaukio g. 80, Baltupiai, Vilnius will be reopened. Since its reconstruction, the area of the shopping centre has doubled, which means that more services and specialised shops will be found under its roof than before the changes.
Mission continued: names of scholarships granted. Two scholarship holders – students of the Faculty of Marine Technologies and Natural Sciences.
Winner of the National Prize, architect Rolandas Palekas has prepared an entirely new vision for the building arrangement of the bus station and its environment in the town centre at the initiative of Baltisches Haus UAB.
A conversion project has been planned for implementation in the very heart of Kaunas City, in the old town of Kaunas, next to the Kaunas Tower. Upon its completion, the territory of the former Lituanica shoe factory will be converted into a modern complex of active leisure, retail, offices, and residential blocks.
“World trends in the construction of small shopping centres have been moving towards ecology for some time, seeking to minimize invading nature and trying to be more friendly to it. For example, in the Scandinavian countries, part of new local shopping centres is oriented towards the needs of the community, and relationship with nature. In Lithuania, this practice is also taking its first steps”, – said Dr. Aušrys Balevičius, the director of “Senasis ežerėlis”, an environmental and landscaping consultant and designer company.
Children and adolescents have been designing and creating cities in virtual space for more than twenty years. The capabilities of computer games are no longer a novelty, and it is now possible to create a clone of a living city in virtual reality – not only its 3D image, but existing buildings with all city communications, streets, transportation, power supplies and other things? Yes, this is already happening.
Real estate development in regions of Lithuania may become a real challenge, especially in peripheral and high-risk areas such as Akmenė. Some buildings in Akmenė owned by Baltisches Haus, UAB have not been used for a long time. Since purchase or lease options have not been exercised yet, the decision was made to take quite unusual activation measures. Objective: Determine the factual need in Akmenė District by taking into account the local supply of human resources, the district potential, the economic situation and the existing (or missing) services.
The ideal house is an energy efficient building, friendly to the environment and people. Today we can consider sustainable buildings that not only use very little energy, but even produce it. The first most energy efficient building in the Baltic countries will be hosted in the capital of Lithuania.
“In most of them, people come together against someone or something. We came together for a particular goal – for a good, comfortable, safe and comfortable life. Today we have the result”, said Rimantas Micka, chairman of the Balsiai community council.
This complicated place that has been posing risks, not only for the locals, but also for holidaymakers travelling to the Green Lakes, will be resolved by September at the initiative of private investors, Baltisches Haus.
Many of us strive to live healthier. We dedicate increasingly more attention to health and the environment, and we want to live together in harmony with nature and teach our children about it. However, did you ever think that not only people, but also buildings can be educated in the spirit of ecology? After all, it is very important how we feel at home, at work or in town! New terms and requirements for sustainable designs are penetrating the Lithuanian world of construction and architecture. We discussed this with prominent construction project developers, architects and engineers developing the trade and services centre in Balsiai, and about how can they change the environment of our houses and cities, based on the new sustainable design philosophy.
The conceptual project of a trade and service centre in the Balsiai district of the capital city initiated by the Baltisches Haus real estate development and management company is going to be the first commercial building seeking a high environmental assessment in accordance with the internationally recognized BREEAM standard, and is already in its first development stage. This was confirmed by COWI Lietuva, the accredited BREEAM assessors.
The real estate developer and manager, Baltisches Haus company is going to build a conceptual trade and service centre in Vilnius in cooperation with the IKI trade network. It shall be designed together with the best professionals of various fields – environment protection, construction industry, trade – and the community of Balsiai. We hope that innovations of this future centre later shall be implemented in other IKI supermarkets as well.
Congratulations to the second and third grade pupils of Balsiai Basic School!
Sports Park in the community of Raudondvaris and a certificate of gratitude to Baltisches Haus for partnership.
Students of Klaipėda university were awarded scholarships by Baltisches Haus UAB for the spring semester.
During the meeting of Senate of Klaipėda University on Friday (11 January), students were awarded scholarships by Baltisches Haus UAB.
“Fluxus ministerija has found a place in Kaunas which surpasses all fantasies with usury”, said Artūras Zuokas to a newspaper PILOTAS.LT.
Today, the renovated IKI MINSKO supermarket was opened after work that took a month.
On April 22, this year, real estate development company Baltisches Haus UAB will open a new trade and service centre named Link Molėtų. The project is in the northern part of Vilnius, near the entry to Didžioji Riešė settlement, situated in Riešė elderate, in the territory of Vilnius district municipality.
The winners of the LITUANICA contest, which was looking for the best urban and architectural ideas to develop territory in Kaunas city centre, have been announced.
Kaunas, 28 September 2009. The winners of the LITUANICA workshop, which was looking for the best urban and architectural ideas to develop territory between Kaunas Castle and Petras Vileišis Bridge, have been announced.
Starting from March students of Klaipėda university have an opportunity to receive yet another scholarship – a scholarship by Baltisches Haus UAB.
