Spaces Worthy of Children
As announced in a press release by the Kaunas municipality, the educational institution located at Vaišvydo St. 28 will experience a renaissance next year: the Kaunas Vaišvydava school, operating for more than 100 years, will be rebuilt to be more functional and modern.
Read more “Neurobics” general knowledge test: can you answer at least 7 out of 10 questions?
The building, which is in poor condition and has inconvenient layouts, will be nearly four times larger after reconstruction.
The total area will increase from 2221 to 8090 sq. m. This will allow for about 350 new places for students and preschoolers. Currently, there are 169 places.
According to the vision of UAB “Projektų ekspertai,” a two-story building with an A++ energy efficiency class will be erected here, with separate spaces for general and preschool education. The existing solar power plant with a capacity of 55 kW will be relocated to the roof of the building.
The new spaces will include classrooms for preschool education, teaching rooms for primary and older students, STEAM and leisure areas, and a library.
An information center, cafeteria, and administrative offices are planned nearby. The educational institution will be fully equipped with the necessary equipment, furniture, and supplies. It is expected that the building will also have an inner courtyard with a terrace for leisure or events.
If everything goes according to plan, work will start in the second half of next year.
The project value is 12.84 million euros from the European Union and the Kaunas city municipality budget funds.
Focus on Sports and Safety
The reconstruction project also includes the expansion of sports infrastructure. According to the architects’ vision, Vaišvydava school will have probably the largest sports hall among the city’s general education institutions. The space will double—from the current 565 sq. m to 1,035 sq. m.
Children will be able to play handball, volleyball, basketball, indoor football, or badminton here. Next to the sports hall, boys’ and girls’ changing rooms and coaches’ offices are planned.
Outdoor active leisure zones are also planned to be updated: running tracks and a versatile football field adapted for various activities will be installed. Its area will be about 1,750 sq. m. A full-size basketball court meeting all international standards will also be installed on the premises.
Read more Food from home kitchens: it’s worth checking who makes it before buying
The youngest members of the school community will also receive attention. Outdoor gazebos and playgrounds will be installed for preschoolers. Their activity zones will be separated from the spaces for older students.
The solutions will also preserve most of the existing greenery, and new trees will be planted to replace those in poor condition that are removed.
The project proposals include a “Kiss and ride” access and about 17 outdoor parking spaces.
Access for technical and service vehicles is planned to be separated from common areas. A 20-space underground parking lot is planned under the building, which could be used as a shelter if needed. It would accommodate about 550 people.
Children’s Education Will Not Stop
During the reconstruction period, Kaunas will use the existing network of educational institutions to ensure continuity of children’s education. Based on the numbers from previous school years, temporary inconveniences will affect just over 150 pupils.
Preschool groups are planned to be relocated to the premises of Kaunas nursery-kindergarten “Bitutė” on Tvirtovės alley. Primary education would be conducted at Kaunas Motiejus Valančius school-kindergarten, and lessons for 5th–8th grade students are planned to be organized at the Šančiai branch of VDU Classical Education Lyceum. All institutions are reachable by car within 20–30 minutes.
The school community will be additionally informed about the decisions made and their implementation progress through electronic diaries.
Parents have already received an initial warning that from next September their children’s education will be organized in different premises.
Read more The district court dismissed Saulius Skvernelis’s complaint regarding the restraining order
