The emerging “Origo One” business centre and the “Origo” shopping centre, which is currently undergoing a major expansion, have both received a certificate of commendation from the world’s leading building sustainability evaluation method, the British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).  In both cases, the emphasis is on high energy efficiency, work climate and sustainability standards which will allow the developer, SIA Linstow Centre Management (LCM) to provide employees and visitors with a healthier and more pleasant environment, as well as more sustainable management of the real estate.

“We have worked very hard to ensure that the investment of Linstow Centre Management is both a long-term investment in public welfare and the observation of sustainable development principles for new and existing objects,” says LCM project director Andris Kublačovs.  “During the design stage of the Origo shopping centre, we obtained the highest rating from BREEAM among all shopping centres in the Baltic States, while Origo One received the second-highest rating among office centres in Latvia.  This shows that LCM wants the building to be not just externally attractive, but also nice for visitors and employees who spend their days here, always ensuring optimal daytime and night time lighting, good acoustics in rooms, thermal comfort, and accessibility to the building for all target audiences, including people with special needs.  The design also means a building that will be energy efficient and financially advantageous in the long term, which means that the value of the real estate will consistently increase.”

BREEAM is an internationally recognised system of evaluating offices, shopping centres, apartment buildings, etc., on the basis of various sustainability criteria.  The rating can be obtained during the design stage, after construction is completed, as well as for buildings that have been built in the past.

LCM received the BREEAM certificate on August 19, 2019, with a rating of 75.4% (excellent) for the Origo One business centre during its design phase.  That is the second highest evaluation for an office building in Latvia.  The best ratings related to transportation (100%), land use and ecology (90%), project management (89%), water (89%) and energy (88).  On August 30, in turn, the BREEAM certificate for retailers was received by the Origo shopping centre, with an overall evaluation of 70.8% (excellent), which was the highest rating among retail objects in the Baltic States.  The best ratings related to water (100%), land use and ecology (90%), project management (89%), waste (86%) and energy (79%).

As part of the BREEAM certification process, LCM conducted various calculations to find out how most effective to use the building’s location advantages, including access to public transportation.  Interior design involves the most advantageous lift and escalator installation solutions, as well as an optimal number of same.  Visitors and employees will have comfortable ways of moving from one place to another in the building.  There will be various solutions to save water, reduce runoff water, and infiltrate rainwater in the green terraces that will be part of the building’s internal courtyards.  Involving responsible lessors will be another key toward ensuring the building of the Origo and Origo One buildings in the long term, because each of them will be able to track various indicators such as temperature shifts indoors so that even those employees whose desks are near a window will always feel comfortable.  As part of its quality attempts, LCM is also continuing construction at this object in the city centre of Rīga.  The plan is to complete the work in 2020.

The BREEAM certification was conducted by auditor Zane Sauka (SIA “IB&P konsultācijas) and accredited BREEAM specialist Hadley Barrett, OÜ “Oxford Sustainable.

As has been reported in the past, Linstow Centre Management has begun to expand the Origo shopping centre by constructing a new building alongside the centre at Satekles Street 2B.  This will expand floorspace in the shopping centre to 81,500 m2, with leased areas, including offices, expanding to 45,300 m2.  There are also plans to expand the underground car park with room for 250 cars, as well as a large, safe and easily accessible place to put one’s bicycle.  The plan is also to rebuild the currently dangerous road crossing at Elizabetes and Satekles streets, installing regulated crossing points for pedestrians and installing a bicycle route across Satekles Street.  In future, there are also plans to renovate the existing Origo shopping centre building.