For the 22nd year, buildings constructed in the Pilsen Region over the past year have been recognized. This year, 34 buildings completed or put into operation in 2024 competed in the Pilsen Region Building of the Year competition. Most were renovations, but new buildings and residential buildings were also well represented. All submitted buildings were evaluated by a six-member jury.
The title of Building of the Year in the Pilsen Region 2024 was awarded to the municipality of Postřekov for its modern and imaginative design of a school building. The jury particularly appreciated the functional and atypical interior layout with views allowing visual control and easy orientation in the building. The project was nominated for its thoughtful design, which sensitively combines contemporary architecture with respect for the original volume of the building. An interesting reference is the use of colored surfaces and regular divisions with wooden slats on the facade, creating the image of Postřekov canvas.
This type of building surprises with its open and visually connected interior space, which offers a comfortable environment for teaching, joint activities, and dining. The project stands out for its functional layout with an emphasis on sustainability and high-quality materials. The school functions not only as an educational institution but also as a multifunctional cultural space for the municipality of Postřekov. The CTU UCEEB team acted as an expert consultant and helped the municipality of Postřekov with comprehensive quality control of the building and ensuring user preferences.
"It was our longest collaboration with a municipality on a single project. It began in 2016 and the entire process was completed in the summer of 2024. Our task was to assist the municipality as a public contracting authority. At the same time, we practically verified, in the public procurement regime, the procedures leading to ensuring the comprehensive quality of the building, especially in soft social aspects such as user quality, variability of solutions, phasing, etc. Based on the experience gained, many of these criteria were implemented in the national building quality certification tool SBToolCZ and other methodologies," says Jan Růžička from the Architecture and Environment Research Department at CTU UCEEB.
The phasing mentioned above was particularly crucial for the municipality. It allowed teaching to continue throughout the construction period, which was of enormous social importance for the municipality. The school building is designed to be highly variable and can therefore fulfill various social functions. Its construction is designed to allow for possible expansion of capacity in the future.
Technically, the building also meets the highest standards. The perimeter shell with triple-glazed windows ensures low heat loss, external blinds prevent overheating in summer, and ventilation with heat recovery ensures a high-quality indoor microclimate.
The school was officially opened on July 29, 2024. "It was an honor to be part of this project and contribute to the creation of a timeless and functional school," concludes Jan Růžička.
Translated by DeepL.com