Radiant Light – Residential Construction in Kaunas (LT)

In past issues of this magazine, we have reported on several architecturally remarkable projects in Kaunas. Lithuania’s second-largest city after the capital, Vilnius, was awarded the European Heritage Label as early as 2015 for its exceptional architectural diversity and is now part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. About two kilometers west of the historic city center, on the opposite bank of the Memel River, lies the Noreikiškės district. To the west, the neighborhood borders directly on a small wooded area that frames the spacious campus of Aleksandras Stulginskis University. On a plot of land on Maumedžių Street—formerly used by a nursery and covered with greenhouses—a modern residential development featuring light-colored clinker brick construction is currently taking shape.

The complex consists of five freestanding, three-story buildings that together house a total of 60 residential units ranging in size from 38 to 70 square meters. The larger single building, located on the western edge of the property in the immediate vicinity of a small lake, has now been completed. Generous floor-to-ceiling windows ensure bright, light-filled rooms and a visual connection to the green surroundings. The building’s floor plan, which protrudes in the central area, adds visual interest to the façade. The concept is rounded out by covered carports, each with two parking spaces and electric charging stations, as well as a small children’s playground. The flat roofs of the carport complex are equipped with photovoltaic modules to ensure the building’s sustainable operation.

Light-Colored Clinker Facade

A key design feature of the new building is the light-colored clinker brick facade, which lends the complex a friendly, open appearance while also underscoring its high architectural standards. The masonry consists of a load-bearing inner shell of thermal bricks, a 25-centimeter-thick layer of polystyrene insulation, and clinker brick slips as the finishing layer. This wall construction not only ensures high energy efficiency and durability from a building physics perspective but, with its ceramic outer shell, primarily provides mechanical protection for the insulation and ensures a lasting, well-maintained appearance.

The selection of the appropriate clinker was carried out with great care. After thorough sampling, the choice fell on the 14-millimeter Röben clinker brick slips AARHUS weissgrau in thin format, which is only 52 millimeters high. The brick slips were installed throughout in a half-brick running bond pattern. A distinctive feature is that they were bonded seamlessly at their top edges. This gives the facade a three-dimensional depth with a striking horizontal structure.

The bright and welcoming appearance is accentuated by the contrast between the clinker bricks and the dark gray window frames and dark gray plastered base areas. The finely tuned interplay of materials and colors lends the building a clear, modern elegance that blends harmoniously into the green surroundings and the diverse neighboring buildings.