The builders admit that this is a very complex construction object particularly as the window during which everything must be completed is very short – from May to October.
Plant house manager Ingūna Gudrupa cares for palm trees and other exotic plants in the Palm House of the LU Botanical Garden. This summer is unlike any other. Reconstruction works are underway in the huge greenhouse, as a result of which the walls and roof are dismantled and the plants have to adapt to live in the climate in Latvia for a while.
"You can see for yourself how 'happy' they look, covered with sand and being, one might say, in the chaos of construction," Gudrupa said.
The rebuilding of the palm house is one of the most complicated construction projects that has been done so far, said Raimonds Ķeirāns, the chairman of the board of builders SIA "Termolat", whose company has worked on similar climate-controlled buildings in other countries as well.
"All the plants are inside. We have to adapt to the work, putting the plants first. This creates complications both in terms of labor intensity and the choice of mechanisms, as well as in constructive matters. We cannot demolish everything at once and replace what should be changed according to the solutions of the constructors. It must be done step by step," explained Ķeirāns.
"The main task of the building is energy efficiency, and again energy efficiency in order to save heating expenses. The thickness of polycarbonate from a local manufacturer reaches 25 millimeters, and it will really be an energy-efficient solution. On top, we have a single-layer glass covering, so that the moment the snow starts falling, it can be melted immediately," said Keiran.
About 20 to 30 workers work at the construction site every day. The deadline is short, the construction works must not be delayed. In autumn, everything must be back under the roof, because it is impossible to move the big trees to a warmer place.
Kristaps Kunrads, director of the botanical garden, said that there will be many benefits after the works are completed, starting with lower heating bills and ending with a better and clearer view for visitors. The 24-meter high Palm House will get not only a new roof and walls, but also a new heating and ventilation system, an artificial fog system and energy-efficient lighting.
"It will be easier for the workers to take care of the plants. It will be easier to control the climate here. We are very happy about the automated control... The plants will definitely have more light, better conditions, winters will no longer be dangerous," Kunrads explained.
The Palm House has about 400 different plants, including the largest collection of palm trees in Latvia. One of the oldest exhibits is the big-leaved ficus, which has been growing here since 1928.
