23.

Bytový dům Na úpatí Brd

Project category ‐ Reconstruction

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Author Michael Karnet, Vojtěch Kramář, Filip Rajman
Studio Karnet, architekti
Location Vysoká Pec 139, Bohutín, 262 41
Investor Bydlení Vysoká Pec, s.r.o.
Supplier Torin, s.r.o.
Date of completion / approval of the project August 2023
Fotograf Petr Polák

In the shadow of the Brdy hills, a dense fog veils the landscape in mystery. The morning rays of the sun, piercing through it on their way to a new day, gradually unveil the contours of spruce trees. And where once there stood a carpentry workshop and an old school, now emerges the silhouette of a new house.

To deal with the form of a residential building in the middle of a small village, not a city, was an interesting challenge for us. The existing non-functional production area was also losing its sense in this location in terms of urban planning and future development of the village. We quickly identified with the investor's intention. We cleaned up the volumes of the three main original buildings of the site to archetypal shapes without later additions, used the generous courtyard as a car park, and began to design the new phase.

On the footprint of the southern structure, which was demolished due to poor foundation conditions, a new three-story building was built. Along its southern and eastern facades, we designed continuous balconies that provide shade and own terrace for each apartment. By extending the gabled roof and creating a column arrangement, we unified the space into a compact silhouette. The ground-floor apartments are connected by an entrance directly to the parking lot and use the original garden on the south side.

The eastern building, the old school used as a warehouse, had massive brick walls and a high stone base. In this part, we propose maisonettes. These terraced houses, with the first floor at the level of the parking area, feature private gardens with views to the west towards the Brdy forests. Each maisonette has its staircase entrance on the east side.

The third, northern building remains unfinished according to the original design.

The design intended to unify all the buildings, to architecturally harmonize them into one compact whole, which naturally follows the countryside morphology. In designing, we were able to afford materials that would not make sense in a larger village. We used wood as a characteristic architectural element for each building. Its shades are unified throughout the site, as are the profiles of the railings, the color of the windows, and the door and window handles.

The design solution is different for each building. The southern building is constructed of Porotherm blocks and insulated with polystyrene according to the current energy standards. The roof is tin due to the low original pitch. An iso-beam system was used for the construction of the balconies due to the subtlety of the front edge and the possibility of visual treatment of the concrete. The eastern building has the original brick construction, which is provided with polystyrene contact insulation. The external staircases are composed of precast concrete elements. In the maisonettes, a monolithic concrete ceiling structure is used. Heating is centrally provided for all units by three powerful air-to-water heat pumps. Hot water tanks are located in the central technical room.

Green building

Environmental certification

Type and level of certificate -

Water management

Is rainwater used for irrigation?
Is rainwater used for other purposes, e.g. toilet flushing ?
Does the building have a green roof / facade ?
Is reclaimed waste water used, e.g. from showers and sinks ?

The quality of the indoor environment

Is clean air supply automated ?
Is comfortable temperature during summer and winter automated?
Is natural lighting guaranteed in all living areas?
Is artificial lighting automated?
Is acoustic comfort, specifically reverberation time, guaranteed?
Does the layout solution include zoning and ergonomics elements?

Principles of circular economics

Does the project use recycled materials?
Does the project use recyclable materials?
Are materials with a documented Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) promoted in the project?
Are other sustainability certifications used for materials and elements?

Energy efficiency

Energy performance class of the building according to the Energy Performance Certificate of the building A
Is efficient energy management (measurement and regular analysis of consumption data) considered?
Are renewable sources of energy used, e.g. solar system, photovoltaics?

Interconnection with surroundings

Does the project enable the easy use of public transport?
Does the project support the use of alternative modes of transport, e.g cycling, walking etc. ?
Is there access to recreational natural areas, e.g. parks, in the immediate vicinity of the building?