By housing bees on the roof of the shopping centre, using energy efficiently and saving water, the responsibly managed „BIG Vilnius shopping centre in the Fabijoniškiai district of the capital city has been awarded the international „Breeam In-Use“ certificate. 

„We create a comfortable and quality environment for tenants and shoppers in the shopping centre, which is why long-lasting, sustainable solutions oriented towards the quality of the surrounding environment and human health are one of our top priorities," says Gintautė Radu&scaron&scaron ienė, manager of the centre. 

Bees were restored

The world-renowned „Breeam“ Building Sustainability Certificate is awarded to both new and existing buildings, and obtaining the certificate confirms that a building that has been constructed over several years but has been responsibly maintained for several years is able to comply with the highest environmental and sustainability standards.

Sustainability, energy saving, CO2 reduction are among the priority goals of the shopping centre, according to Ms Radu, and the sustainability certificate is only the first step towards creating an environment that meets high sustainability standards.

The fact that not only the sustainability of the building is important to the mall managers, but also the environment in which they work, is demonstrated by the decision taken a year ago to house bees on the roof of the mall. 

As Paulius Chockevičius, a professional beekeeper and urban beekeeper, commented, bees living in the city contribute to biodiversity, and businesses that host them on the roofs of their buildings build a sustainable and conscious community around them. Honey collected in hives on the roof of a shopping mall building is donated to tenants and partners.