By the end of next year, it will be 30 years since CASUA was entered in the Register of Companies. Nevertheless, the real co-operation between Oleg Haman and Aleš Poděbrad commenced a bit earlier, on 1^st July 1990. That means that this year is also a jubilee one.

The company has, over the years of existence of the architectural and planning office, expanded – from a two-member consortium to a limited company for which 70 architects and civil engineers work.

So, you had a reason to celebrate all year…

AP: We have actually been celebrating the whole 30 years… De facto, we started before 1^st July 1990 when we both left our jobs – Oleg from Karel Prager’s studio and me from Karel Koutský studio. We both each came with a contract. I needed an architect and Oleg needed a civil engineer. So, we sat down together and started designing claiming that we had gained our freedom and could decide for ourselves. We enjoy freedom with regards to the choice of commission, clients and work. Starting with the 90s, we commenced drawing something that was later stratified. Both work and people were piling up (we didn’t look for it). We really enjoyed the work we did during those 30 years and we enjoy it still.

Can you remember the first procurements?

OH: Aleš was supposed to do the first BMW showroom in Průběžná in Prague 10. When I was leaving Karel Prager, there was a condition upon my leaving: to secure the project for the completion of the primary school Jitřní in Prague 4. So, we both needed to finish our commissions. One was looking for an architect and the other for a civil engineer. We knew each other so we had already started working together some time in March 1990. The name CASUA had already originated then.

What does CASUA actually mean?

AP: We didn’t know what to come up with so the name emerged abbreviated from the Consortium of Architectural Building and Urban Studios. And as Coca Cola was better than Kofola, we turned Kasua into Casua.

It sounds quite exotic…

OH: We knew we couldn’t put full stops there as we wouldn’t be able to register it as an abbreviation, but in the world today, it is possible to register a name but it cannot have a geographical significance and this was not the case. And also, we also found it pleasant from a phonetic point of view.

What was your mutual vision for the future after the first projects you had realized?

AP: I will try to sum it up from my point of view. The two of us complement one another quite well: firstly, we are both different from a character point of view and secondly, we both have our own profession. Our aim was to produce pleasant architecture, bring it to the building stage and ideally be present at the construction. This took the first five to six years until a turning point on my side. In 1996, we started talking with our client about a commission and a year later we concluded contracts for a project in Prague 10, Na Vinici. That really made us shift. We worked on it from the stabilization of the outline plan (there used to be white places in the outline plan then) up to 2004, that being the last final building approval. This project educated us professionally resulting in the expansion of our studio. Then we said that the company wouldn’t have more than 25 people. When we got the procurement, we made the first mistake in our professional life as architects and planning engineers as we focused on one client and didn’t deal with other commissions. We had a lot of work at that time and didn’t have time to think of the future – what was going to happen once the client built it. So, sometime around 2000, we were a little stressed and started expanding our client portfolio in order to always have a principal procurement and some smaller ones to go with it. From a personal point of view, the years between 1996 and 2000 were crucial for me with regards to the growth of the company.

Let’s get to current projects. You participated in the tender for the hospital in Zlín. What else is, figuratively speaking, on your desk?

OH: We won a public business tender in Zlín for a new regional hospital as a member of an association of four entities. Such large procurements always need some sort of co-operation. We were, in this case, the guarantor of the BIM structure, co-ordination of the project and consequently we guaranteed about half the buildings there. More or less, we went through all appeals, confirmations from the Office for the Protection of Competition. We won, which we are proud of, but the political situation has changed and we are awaiting the signing of the work contract. Building a hospital on green land is something you don’t see every day. What is absurd is that they have a shortage of beds in Zlín due to the epidemic and Covid patients are being transported to Brno. So, everything that is going on is just politics…

How were you better in the tender than your competition?

AP: The assignment of the project for the hospital stated the use of BIM. Our advantage was, that in 2004, without having an idea what it was actually about, we had one IT visionary in our company and he brought to our attention the fact that there is software, which can design in 3D. And we bought 27 licences then. We started designing with this software and now, 16 years later, we are able to harvest the fruits of our work where architecture unites technology and information in a model. They are procurements that originated thanks to the fact that we started working this way. That is why we can do projects such as the one for Zlín Hospital or the Bořislavka project. We are working on this with the Aulík Fišer architekti studio. As planning engineers, we are working on the Bořislavka project for KKCG in BIM.

Let’s get back to the issue of your studio’s specialization…

AP: Classically we emerged as an architect and civil engineer – and as we kept gradually expanding the studio, there are about 70 of us there now. We have a particular number of architects and a particular number of civil engineers. They all design on computers with full licences. The architects come up with projects and we draw them. We also accept service procurements, which means that we work for clients and companies who have their own architects.

What projects have you recently realized?

OH: This year, we completed Waltrovka North, a residential complex, including family houses. The residential Project Karlínské dvory II, an interesting project situated between Křižíkova and Sokolovská Streets underwent final building approval and one project in Stodůlky changed hands and we redesigned it completely. This year, we participated in many tenders and with 70 people in our studio we also have many smaller procurements where some are successful and some are not. Which can also happen when a developer is unsuccessful. We, for instance, designed the reconstruction and conversion of a prison building in Mladá Boleslav, turning it into a new centre with a high dominant point. The project is simply lying fallow, but not because of us. So, sometimes we also face frustration that something is not working out, but everyone goes through that. We must be strong and keep going and be able to bear these losses that we experience along the way.

What do you expect in a short-term horizon?

AP: I would stem from this year as what happened at the beginning of the year, February – March – April, because Covid has shaken the projects. They were delayed, some large developers even terminated work and apart from one came back into operation a few months later yet again.

What type of project was mostly affected?

AP: Residential projects as well as one administrative one, which were launched this September. Apart from that we worked on other contracted procurements, so, this year looks better than last year for us. We are slowly growing upwards. And our plan for next year? We always prepare that in advance and stem from tenders we had won or procurements contracted with clients over the long term. Or they are projects that have been agreed upon but are not secured by a contract yet. That means that the prospect outlook for next year still looks positive, whether in our authorial projects or in service activities. We hope that we can succeed in some big tender where we get to the final round. We are currently careful optimists.

Will you mainly focus on residential projects?

OH: There is generally a shortage of apartments. Apart from the large complexes, there are many smaller items whereby the city structure is being completed by construction in gap sites, some buildings are being demolished, others built… all this has always been here and always will be here. The question is what housing quality is to be like. Many developers first have an analysis done and only then do they make decisions. I don’t think we have to worry that we wouldn’t have work in residential projects, providing nothing fundamental occurs.

Your projects don’t only apply to Prague…

OH: Zlín proves that. We also have some smaller projects outside Prague and in Slovakia but not a large project like the project of Bratislava airport as we did in the past.

The CASUA studio is involved in a number of foundations and professional organizations. You also often take part in trade fairs and not only in the Czech Republic…

OH: In 2007, we received an offer to become a member of the Equator Europe Architects network, which included some 13 studios from 13 countries. We accepted that offer. We saw sense in that co-operation; one of the main moments is the fact that we participate in trade fairs, for instance MIPIM in Cannes, together. We are basically the only Czech studio with our own – though small – stand. The 2008 crisis naturally saw a depletion of companies from Western Europe so some studios don’t exist anymore or have withdrawn. This resulted in the reduced size of Equator. Now, it is mainly dominated by Scandinavian countries and us. Surprisingly, all countries that play hockey – with headquarters in Stockholm. What is interesting is the fact that Swedish Equator Stockholm is a member of the Swedish Green Building Council, ie. a recognized leading institute in the world of permanent sustainability – and we have the opportunity to draw on the latest knowledge from them. The fact that local developers are not that interested in such knowledge, or at least making it seem like that, is another issue. Nevertheless, this gives us access to very valuable information. We are also a member of the Czech Green Building Council and the Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce. When looking for an opportunity as to how to contribute to charitable purposes, we picked what attracted our attention – the Arnošt Lustig Award for courage, bravery, humanity and justice. The condition allowing for the support of this award was the entry to the Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce where we found that it works very well and that members include many skilful people and is also interesting for us from a business point of view. Which means everything fits in nicely.

Arnošt Wagner / Photo: Casua archive

The Czech development group CRESTYL is one of the market leaders in building multi-purpose projects – residential, commercial and office real estate.

We spoke with Viktor Peška, Chief Commercial Officer at Crestyl, not only about how a successful developer is doing in these turbulent times but how much the real estate market has changed in 2020.

We meet at a time where people plan and life changes. At a time that mainly encourages one to balance things. What were your plans and expectations for Crestyl in 2020?

With regards to the fact that our business is built on three pillars, this issue needs to be addressed on three levels. From the perspective of the residential market, we planned to develop one already running project and commence the construction of two new projects. We planned to sell the remaining units at the Berounská Brána and Marina Boulevard projects. In the segment of lease of office space, we planned to complete the lease of the remaining premises in the DOCK IN FOUR building and start construction of the last stage in the DOCK IN complex – the DOCK IN FIVE building. As for retail projects, our plans were clearly focused on the successful pre-lease and lease of retail units in the NR7 and Savarin projects and in the Dornych project in Brno.

That sounds like a lot of work and investment. To what extent do your plans meet with reality?

In the residential segment, we initially experienced a temporary slowdown, but it really only shortly overawed us. Demand soon returned, but we suspected a change in clients’ priorities. The project in Vysoký Újezd, where we offer houses with gardens and plots, is experiencing a boom and there is also interest in luxury real estate in the Šárecký dvůr and Marina Boulevard projects; in both cases we are talking about apartments with larger layouts. This part of our activities went very well. I must admit that at the end of the summer, we reached sales numbers as planned and expected. What, however, slowed us down was the more complex financing negotiations. Discussions with banks are longer and more complicated. This factor is also reflected in the other two segments. With regards to the construction of offices, we were forced to postpone the start of construction of DOCK IN FIVE by several months due to Covid-19. The interest in administrative premises is generally smaller, but there is still great interest in new offices in DOCK IN. But the retail market shuffled its cards quite significantly. Despite all unforeseen events, we managed to complete the sale of the Central Kladno shopping centre, which is an incredible success. It should be noted that negotiations began before the coronavirus crisis and ended successfully after the first wave.

You mentioned that there is still a lot of interest in the DOCK IN FIVE project. What is its added value at a time when office rental costs are more of a burden for employers?

Its biggest advantage is, undoubtedly, the fact that construction is at the very end. The project is almost completed and apart from the infrastructure of shops and services, the DOCK IN location also provides a park and facilities for sports activities. The second important argument that plays into our hands is the dispositions. As one of the few, we are able to offer large areas on one floor. We are talking about A class offices, with the offer of which we target large and corporate companies.

What are your expectations in the coming months?

In months to come, we expect a certain slowdown in negotiations and agreements, as well as a growing interest in both luxury real estate and land.

Will you offer any new services or a new type of business in connection with this?

For us, the business model basically remains unchanged. We don’t belong amongst those developers who would minimize space and maximize profits. We have always had 10–15% larger apartments and higher standards. We believe that people will continue to demand larger apartments with terraces and/or gardens. In our case, it is not about adaptation to the situation or trend, but one of our main principles, with which we work on projects quite naturally. Worth mentioning is also the fact that after the successful and speedy sale of 32 family houses in Vysoký Újezd, we are launching a follow-up project with 54 spacious family houses and bungalows. As for the business and office unit projects, we look at developments over a longer period of four to five years. And we believe that at that time we will live completely normally again, without any major restrictions.

We talked about the residential and administrative markets, so, let’s move on to retail units. You are ahead of construction of, in many ways, truly exceptional and at the same time investment-intensive projects. What are the prospects?

The market will change considerably, not only next year, but especially within the horizon of the next few years. Standard sales will move more to online platforms and customers will expect much more from brick and mortar stores. Good traders will be forced to offer not only goods and services. It will be a game with emotions of experience and fun. We assume that stores will primarily turn into showrooms or concept stores and will perform a different function than before. This change will, of course, also affect the so far exclusive online retailers who will want to build a physical presence. The store will not serve a priori as a place where people leave with shopping bags. It will also serve as an exhibition and presentation of brands and companies. Having such premises will be a matter of prestige. The second trend that can be expected will be the emergence of multi-brand stores. Multi-branded retailers that still sell through separate retail units will more often go for a multi-brand showroom where they would sell more brands in one place, under a single identity. We, as a retail developer, must meet them halfway and build not shopping, but multi-purpose community centres, where a clearly defined purpose, public space and curation is to play a crucial role in shaping the destination. There will always be a very limited number of such places, and therefore will always be of interest among traders and tenants.

As a leader in the real estate market, you don’t need to worry about talking openly about opportunities these times offer…

What is being discussed a lot is the development of residential projects for rent. West of the Czech Republic, this form of business works quite well. It certainly has interesting potential in our country but we are not considering this business model in the near future. We still see real possibilities in multifunctional projects, which offer housing and premises for work and relaxation in one place. This helps the developer to increase the level and quality in a particular place much more as he is be able to invest in the surrounding infrastructure in co-operation with local administration and associations. As for the administrative and retail segments, emphasis will be put on the construction level, gadgets and technologies that were previously considered ‘nice to have’. Now they will become a matter of course.

Is there anything you would like to wish the development market and developers for 2021?

I wish everyone a more transparent future. At least to the extent where we can plan with more accuracy and security. This also applies to the building law and regulations.

PR

The residential district of Waltrovka with the administrative buildings Aviatica, Dynamica and Mechanica, the administrative buildings Florentinum and Churchill – those are just some of the projects from Penta Real Estate’s portfolio in the Czech Republic.

Petr Palička, director of Penta Real Estate, briefly assessed the year 2020 for us.

The end of the year is approaching and with it a period of reviews. What was this year like for your company?

It was actually quite good. We managed to complete buildings that we planned – Maison Ořechovka, Churchill, and received a planning permit for Nusle Brewery whereby we approached commencement of the development. I believe we were doing quite well all year except for certain exceptions caused by the coronavirus.

To what extent did you have to change your plans due to the pandemic?

The coronavirus naturally has a negative influence. Firstly, spring brought an overall slowdown – the situation took us all by surprise, we weren’t used to working online, administrative processes stopped for a while and it took some time before everything got back to normality again. And then, the pandemic had a relatively significant influence on the administrative market as it was negotiations with new tenants that primarily slowed things down. The question is, how long will it take but it certainly did have an impact on this year’s results…

How are individual projects currently progressing?

The administrative building SmíchOFF is finished and represents a typical example of what I was talking about. We get quite a few interested clients who like the premises but hesitate with final decision. They don’t reject it but they say they cannot make any decisions at the moment… So far, we have about 40% of the building unoccupied – three storeys. Waltrovka – in the original location – is completed, all the apartments are sold and the only thing we still own there is the nursery school. We are currently negotiating its sale to the city district of Prague 5. We are preparing construction of Waltrovka III, an area situated between the completed part and ČSOB. We have a planning permit and the relocation of a sewage system and other ground work is currently in progress there. As for the Churchill building, we are negotiating a purchase with a client and I believe that we will then conclude the transaction before the end of this year. We are building Maison Ořechovka; the first phase has undergone final building approval and the second should be completed in about half a year’s time. We have, so far, sold about 50% of the apartments. Another relatively interesting project with about one hundred apartments is the Victoria Palace project in Vítězné Square in Prague 6. We have already held a planning permit for two years but it was opposed by a local activist. The settlement is hopefully heading to the end and we will therefore be able to commence. Otherwise we are preparing different issues associated with Masaryčka and amongst others both architectural and urban tenders and competitions. We have plenty of work.

Projects in preparation also include the new district that is being developed in the brownfield of Nusle Brewery. At what phase is the preparation?

We have a planning permit for the northern part and the process for a building permit is in progress; as for the southern part – it is the one with a listed building and adjacent buildings – the process for a planning permit is in progress. The complex will comprise approximately 450 apartments and some commercial premises – shops, cafés, services and perhaps also atypical offices. The construction is to proceed in two phases. The timing will depend on the sale. By the way, we have recently launched the sale of the first phase. The buildings should also be interesting from an architectural point of view. The northern part was prepared by the studio CHYBIK + KRISTOF, whilst the southern one, the one with the reconstructed historical building of the brewery, is by David Chisholm and CMC Architects.

You have recently announced that the original plans in the Masaryčka project will be changed. What are they to involve and how will to influence the overall image of the area?

There are certain specific modifications. When we nowadays speak of Masaryčka, we think of two buildings that should be built in Na Florenci Street. There we have a planning permit and have applied for a building permit. This project developed in accordance with various technical observations, possibly in accordance with the results of participation until they got to the stage for which the planning permit applies. A change of outline plan is subject to change in another part of the project and it is impossible to clearly predict as to what it will look like at the end. Moreover, we agreed with the council that a public international urban-architectural tender will be held within the framework of this change and we would like to announce this next January or February. This should lead to a solution for the rear part of the area, which is mostly situated in Prague 8. We will stem from a concept, especially the transportation part, designed by Zaha Hadid. There, I mainly refer to the construction of a square and roads situated on the boundary of Prague 1, 2, 3 and 8, which must reflect the current situation, whether it is about the ownership of the plots – part is owned by ČSAD, which is also building there, or the agreement with the council for a new development according to which there should be at least 40 % of apartments. This will, no doubt, also influence urbanism of the area.

You are also planning to announce the urban-architectural tender for the landscaping of the area between Havlíčkova, V celnici and Na Florenci Streets within the vicinity of a station building.

The aim is to complete this square, or rather the public area, so that it gives a pleasant impression. Many buildings are, however, clearly determined there, whether they are those existing ones, for instance underground exits, or those that need to be built there in accordance with a planning permit. It is be an open tender, which will probably be announced before the end of this year. Anyone interested can enter.

In the past issue of Development News, we published an article by Tomáš Kadeřábek from the Association of Developers regarding development taxation. Do you have a suggestion as to how to allocate the money transparently so that it goes where necessary?

A methodology or recommendation for city districts on how developer’s contribution for development should be calculated is currently being prepared at Prague Council under the lead of architect Hlaváček. The methodology takes into account different aspects, for instance whether it is a location for which the outline plan presumes development or whether the outline plan has to be changed due to development. Deep discussions are held on this topic; individual city districts require different issues from the developers – requirements for square meterage, contribution, allowances for schools and nursery schools, infrastructure and others. Hardly anyone is aware of the fact that huge sums from taxes paid for residential development go towards public budgets. This is, for instance, done through VAT and with the present-day prices, it is basically CZK 1 million from every apartment. City districts also complain that building activities progress in their areas and that they have to invest in infrastructure, etc., but that they don’t get anything directly from development projects. And that is why they want developers to contribute to one thing or another. This arises the question as to whether it would be just to transfer part of the taxes collected back to the budget of the city district – or at least the city – and use these for costs that arise due to development activities. The only income that goes to the budget of a city district from development is currently the property tax, which is quite low in our country. Nevertheless, this is a matter that applies to the budget allocation of taxes, which is beyond the competence of the capital city.

What is the situation in Slovakia from this point of view? Is it similar?

Approximately two years ago, they introduced charges that stem from the overall area of newly built apartments. But that doesn’t solve the funding of infrastructure either. It is basically a new tax.

You have mentioned co-operation with the council. How does it proceed?

I would definitely like to acknowledge and appreciate the positive development at Prague Council with regards to politicians and office workers’ approach to our business. This is mainly evident from co-operation in the area of planning when dealing with individual changes or when organizing urban tenders. It is a transparent process, which leads to a particular result, though it does not eventually need to be positive for us. What is important is that things are developing and are not just stagnating, which is a significant change compared with previous administration. For instance, changes to the outline plan took too long or were not discussed at all. The council’s approach has changed considerably and they represent a respectable partner for discussion. We can only be pleased about that.

AK

Ing. arch. Jana Mastíková graduated, in 2012, from architecture and urbanism at the Faculty of Architecture at VUT in Brno. Since 2014, she has worked in the LOXIA studio where she worked her way up to the post of chief architect.

LOXIA has been in operation for a quarter of a century and their portfolio includes almost two hundred realizations of various types of projects, from family houses, housing blocks and polyfunctional buildings through reconstruction of historical buildings, construction of civic amenities to industrial and public premises.

Why LOXIA?

LOXIA means a curve in Latin. For one thing, it sounds lovely but I also think that it bears a bit of a secret. A curve is something of grace and elegance from a freely drawn line yet it has a mathematical and logical justification. The name represents that which LOXIA tries for: thought-out, functioning yet free and creative architecture.

Can you briefly introduce the studio?

LOXIA comprises architects and engineers. There are 50 of us there. It is a functioning formation of creative and technically skilled people. We don’t only want to design buildings and look at nice visualisations. We primarily want to build. And this cannot be done without technical knowledge, without searching optimal solutions and sometimes without compromise. That means that the architects and engineers at LOXIA are some kind of joined hands that create architecture and construct buildings together.

Isn’t it sometimes a bit lively between the two parties?

I am an architect and the engineer is my partner, sometimes as opponent. We respect our field’s philosophy. Architects can be creative but there must still be some rational basis to it. And that is why we have engineers, in order not to let our imagination run riot, in order not to promise our clients, developers and investors some pipe dream instead of reality. We work for people who keep their feet on ground and who expect the same from us. We can have our heads in the clouds but there must be some connecting line between the clouds and the ground.

You install modern technologies in your projects. However, the economy is eventually what plays the main role. How do you manage to persuade the client which is the right direction?

With regards to the fact that the approval process usually takes between five to ten years in our country, we are already designing for the future. The technologies we now plan in our projects can be obsolete when it is completed. We, therefore, look at it from different points of view: We do have an investor and a client, but then there are people who are actually going to live or work in the building. If the investor wants to build cheaply, the maintenance and consequence upkeep will then be more costly. We are trying to find some balance between the two. Engineers make sure that the construction is optimal from a technical and economic point of view and we, the architects, make sure it fulfils the required function and can still be beautiful. Technology development progresses incredibly quickly. The projects that are nowadays being built were drawn up some 10 years ago when no one, for instance, expected such a boom in the field of electric cars. So, we are trying to retrospectively implement various smart solutions, equipment for the utilization of grey water, photovoltaic and others. The building is alive so we cannot just draw it now and then completely shut it away from new development. There are always new materials, new technologies, new economic conditions to come up with. There are many buildings that we designed as brick ones. However, it eventually needed to be redesigned, for instance from monolithic concrete, due to a lack of qualified labour. The process simply never ends.

With regards to lengthy approval processes, it is impossible to change some projects much, especially within the state and public sectors. Technologies installed there are already past their prime at the time of their final building approval. Isn’t that a shame?

Some projects are luckier than others. We, for instance, have one lucky one – the new town hall for Prague 12 – Modřany. The population of this Prague district is 60,000 people, just like Kladno or mostly where they have interesting town halls. It was an enormous task but it will really be a very lucky and happy building! Prague 12 tendered a design and build project, which prevented lengthy delays. We started working on the project at the end of 2016, now it is under construction and is to be inaugurated in April 2021. It is a miracle, because under Czech conditions, a building has to be built within five years! For me, it represents the symbol of a genuine public building, which is wonderful. Modřany is a very specific city district – on one side, there are villas and family houses and on the other side is a housing development. We were trying to create something that would somehow join the two different worlds together. We have managed to include all the attributes that the building of a town hall should have and act as its symbol. A clock, a tower, a gathering area, a ceremonial hall, an entrance hall across two storeys… We have managed to include all that within a relatively tight budget. The council of Prague 12 decided to build an austere, yet elegant, functional and a sort of monumental building and I think that it is a good thing.

Where do you see the genius?

I say the townhall comes with a tower but it’s actually not there. In the past, town halls had towers because the clocks needed to be visible from all directions. People didn’t wear watches and had to look out from their windows to see the time. We naturally have the clock but it is basically only indicated in a line that is to be lit – and the tower will thus stand out. I like that, putting such niceties into a project…

Can you mention other projects you are working on?

This year, we have achieved final building approval on the Chateau Troja project situated within the immediate vicinity of Troja chateau. The project comprises housing blocks, a mix of reconstruction and newly constructed buildings. It is the top standard housing where a new complex emerged within an area of a former lordly manner. Several buildings from the 17^th century were preserved but were in a disastrous condition after the 2002 floods. LOXIA attended to this project over the long term, since 2007. The project got both planning and building permits and then actually ‘fell asleep’. When I joined the company in 2014, it was revived after the previous crisis. So, I spent a relatively long time with the project in the second half of its life. It is remarkable that someone mustered the courage to put both resources and time into it. And it is the reason why the preserved Baroque sights, where some needed to be completely taken apart and reassembled, are to remain here for future generations. But it would be impossible to only preserve the sights and not build anything new as the new partially finances the revitalization of the old. Another very nice housing project is in Smíchov, in the mouth of the railway bridge by Strakonická Street. The aim is to build a part of the street there. It is extremely interesting. Once again, we are under the scrutiny of conservationists as Smíchov is a protected heritage zone. We are only building one relatively large building there. We decided to analyse Smíchov’s blocks of flats, their proportions, resulting in the dividing of the long building into five. That means that we are actually coming up with five buildings, five different façades. Sort of 5in1 with services within its parterre.

Would you like to mention another project?

Yes, I would. We are preparing a nursery school in Modřany. When I went there for the first time, the plot looked like a jungle. I thought to myself that we should retain it. That it is a mysterious garden… We placed the nursery there in such a way as to retain as much vegetation as possible, so that the building blends well with the jungle. It will be a kind of an ecological nursery, sensitively embedded amongst the trees, with animals grazing on the roof. It will simply be different…

What is it like when you see the building finished as per your project?

Architects come up with something, the engineers build it and someone lives there. We (architects and engineers) will probably be forgotten but people will continue living there – and the building will either keep them happy or annoy them. I myself go to see our projects. I just sit down and watch the people function there. Today, it is also possible to follow it on social network. There are already several thousand people living in Suomi Hloubětín and when you follow their discussions, you understand things. It’s not that I would be going there asking them physically.

Nowadays, architects don’t only deal with just the building but mostly also with comprehensive preparation of the area. Can you see some sort of progress from this point of view?

I think it improved incredibly. I have been involved in architectural studios for 10 years. At that time, they didn’t deal with public areas and we would probably find it difficult to persuade an investor to invest their money into some park as it creates added value. Today, this comes as standard. And that is a good thing because the town needs to be cultivated… We try to do so and I think that we also paid attention to it in the past. Urbanism always needs to be at the start: To decide where to place the structures. The façade and windows can be fixed but if you positioned the building wrongly, one would overshadow the other, an entrance would be put somewhere where no one would ever enter… how would it actually work? It is like opening a baker’s in a place where nobody goes… Poor baker! I find these the functional attributes of a city and public area. What the buildings look like is also important but it is secondary. As we work on relatively large complexes, we always consider the positioning of the building primary as it is invariable. If it is placed badly, it’s wrong.

So, it is not only about ‘designing a building’…

It is necessary to analyse the market and the environment. You must take into consideration whether the building is primarily intended for families with children or whether it is rather to serve workaholics who only come there to spend the night. That is what the concept is then adjusted to: A family with children will appreciate an inner block with playground where everybody meets, children have a trampoline, parents join in the barbeque and the whole place works as a community. But a housing block situated somewhere in the centre, near Anděl within the vicinity of the underground, will be attractive for people who are always on the go. Those won’t have barbeques in the garden. Those will pop over the street to a garden grill. They live in a slightly different way and we often discuss this with the investors. There is a relatively high number of foreign investors in the Prague market. They hire a local architect so that he discloses the local life to them – that is where his added value lies as each nation comes with their own specifics. There is no universal cookbook of a residential project that would work all over the world.

How do you prepare the projects when you want to beat the competition?

Most of what we now design is in BIM, which I consider revolutionary in design, just as it was when we moved from a draft board to computer. The townhall in Modřany, for instance, is in BIM, basically from documentation all the way to the planning permit. We have already been through several projects designed in BIM. It is a very sophisticated method. It allows you to define various details, properties and information so the investor and/or the user knows exactly where everything is to be and what it is to look like. You can’t miss anything in BIM…

You come from Pardubice, studied in Brno and now work in Prague… Can you see certain differences?

I think that, in comparison with Brno, Prague is a metropolis. I studied in Brno because the local school and people who taught there then made a better impression on me. I like functionalism that pervades everything in Brno but I always wanted to work in Prague. I wanted to do that ‘big urbanism’. I like versatility and I am glad that there is no project we would be afraid getting into in LOXIA!

Arnošt Wagner