At the beginning of this year, the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA), in collaboration with the Academy of Sustainable Development, announced the start of the annual “For Sustainable Development” competition. The competition committee has already begun visiting the real estate projects participating in it. This news is reported on the delfi.lt news portal, which is the competition’s informational partner.
This year, the “For Sustainable Development” competition received a record number of participants, with 26 applications submitted: 14 for the main prize and 12 for the future prize. According to the competition organizers, they are pleased to see the expanding geographical representation of participants, with projects located in Klaipėda, Kaunas, Palanga, Nida, and Molėtai.
After the first inspection visit by the committee to the seaside (where 5 projects are participating in the competition), feedback was received regarding the increasing demands and the raised quality bar. Sustainability and advanced architectural design are now essential not only in housing projects but also in industrial developments. Industrial projects aim to keep pace with the modern trend. Additionally, as noted by the organizers, there is a trend towards making human needs and comfort the central focus when designing the functionality of buildings and workspaces. These insights are affirmed by the Inno Line project implemented by SBA Urban in the outskirts of Klaipėda.
By the way, this year, there is an abundance of industrial and administrative/community projects.
During the first visit, the competition committee members expressed that they sensed a strong message about a balanced relationship with nature. Organizers and committee members summarized the first visit and shared their impressions.
The real estate developer’s “arrival” at the project site emphasizes respect for both the natural environment (“Viešnagė” preserved all the trees, greenery, even those not categorized as protected, and the entire building architecture was “folded” according to the lines of growing trees) and local traditions, as well as community needs. Such harmony is desired in real estate development.
“We have an innovative conversion solution in the ‘Marių Vėtrungės’ project, where a unique location in the country, Neringa, which had become unrepresentative and almost a dump for household storage, has transformed into a cozy housing quarter harmoniously integrated into nature. The ‘Palanga dreams’ project represents exceptional building reconstruction, preserving the historical memory of the object and paying tribute to the original architect and her unique idea,” the organization’s information states.
The fundamental principle of the “For Sustainable Development” competition, when evaluating participants, remains consistent and unwavering – the necessity of sustainable solutions in the implementation of real estate projects.
“Today, sustainable real estate development is inseparable from attention to the environment, principles of social responsibility, and governance ensuring a sustainable relationship with the surrounding environment. Responsibility for our impact on the environment must be uncompromising, both from the business community and society, as well as from responsible state institutions. Therefore, we must firmly adhere to the green course in creating humane, intelligent, and responsible cities. And today, this is no longer an aspiration; it is a reality,” says Mindaugas Statulevičius, LNTPA leader and chairman of the competition committee.
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Briefly about the 5 real estate projects visited on the coast:
INNO LINE – This is a new construction project with industrial and administrative spaces in the outskirts of Klaipėda, developed by the company SBA Urban. It falls under the main prize category, and the total area of the project is nearly 49,000 square meters.
PALANGA DREAMS – A leisure-focused building in Palanga where renovation/reconstruction work was carried out. The project was implemented by the company REEFO and competes in the main prize category. The total project area is 1663 square meters.
VIEŠNAGĖ – A new construction residential/leisure project in Palanga, implemented by the company Lumont. The total area is 3200 square meters. Interestingly, this project won in the Future Projects category at last year’s “For Sustainable Development” competition and is now competing for the main prize this year.
Vila Lūšis – A new construction residential/leisure project in Palanga, also being developed by Lumont. The cozy area of the project is 516 square meters, and it competes in the Future Projects category.
Marių Vėtrungės – A leisure-focused project in Nida, developed by Inreal. It underwent reconstruction/conversion and aims to win in the main prize category. The total project area is nearly 4100 square meters.
