The newly built training centre building is located in the Mārupe industrial zone between hangars and residential houses. Its length, width and height was necessitated by the narrow plot of land and the construction regulations. The narrow strip of land along the whole length of the drive was also utilised to ensure the minimum requirement for car parking spaces.
The rectangular space available for the building was 24×36 metres, and it was constructively divided into a convenient and economically advantageous grid with units of six metres each. In line with the client’s instructions, on the first floor of the building a training centre was created, while the second floor was designed for office space. By dividing the groups of rooms into smaller units according to their function and the sky sides, four spatial blocks are created exactly on top of each other. To ensure a horizontal link between the blocks, a circular movement is enabled around a covered inner courtyard at the centre of the building. A vertical link is ensured by the stairs and lifts.
The four functional blocks together with the inner courtyard form a clean and symmetrical cross-shaped layout. Set outside this shape as separate units are all the technical spaces needed for heating, ventilation, water and electricity. Outside, at the corners of the building, fire escapes and solar panels are also placed. All four front courtyards on both floors are created as green zones, with terraces, benches and bike stands, which rationally interact with the industrial elements.
The building is constructed from reinforced concrete. The walls and supporting elements from reinforced concrete also make up the interior of the training centre. The walls have been planned to have niches, built-in furniture and utilities, avoiding the unnecessary use of extra materials – for example, plasterboard wall constructions and free-standing furniture. The interior space is constructed using four dominant materials: concrete, wood (birch plywood), metal and glass. In the interior, the dominant colours are earth tones, creating an additional connection with nature.
The building was planned with economical use in mind – this means that its consumption is almost zero. A heat pump is used for heating, and solar panels are installed on the roof.
