Winning the international competition for the conceptual design of the ZEVO solution

We won 1st place in the international competition for the conceptual design of the Energy Park České Budějovice. We have thus succeeded in one of the three rounds of the competition. Our vision for this project was to create a design based on the needs and interests of the community, we did not want to create a tourist attraction. We consider this community-based approach to be the only sustainable one and intrinsic to our work.

The work on this project therefore consisted mainly of extensive discussions with representatives of the local communities – from universities, to business hubs, to local associations. We have thus based the attractiveness of our design on the existing qualities of the place, as well as on the demand, interests and needs of the city region, residents and local institutions. Our philosophy of sustainability lies in this approach.

We are taking a sensitive approach to the existing site. We propose to largely retain the existing buildings, structures and facilities and infuse them with new life on and off site. We have proposed to transform part of the old heating plant as FabLab – a multifunctional centre for meeting, education, research, work and entertainment. This will humanise the site, revitalise it and connect it with local partners and the gatekeeper community.

In the northeast corner of the site, partly on adjacent city land, we have located the dormitories for the VŠTE ČB. Connecting with the scientific and community facilities of FabLab will bring mutual synergy and life to the campus throughout the year.

The connecting element is the green tree grid, which unifies the area and visually “envelops” the incinerator. The size of the 8×8 m grid is derived from and inspired by the České Budějovice square. The attractive public space with areas for relaxation and leisure is directly connected to the path through the landscape from the centre of Vrat to the VŠTE.

To find a new life for the former heating plant, we worked primarily with Make More, a company that not only organizes MakerFaire festivals, but also focuses on popularizing technology, science and creativity.

In the competition for the architectural design of the ZEVO facility and the design of the wider surroundings, we came 2nd and 4th respectively.