Hůrka Greenscraper

Project idea

THE MAIN GOAL OF OUR STUDIO WAS TO DESIGN HIGH DENSITY, SUSTAINABLE LIVING LOCATED AT THE SUBURBS OF PRAGUE.

WE INTENTIONALLY PUSHED THE LIMITS OF THE HEIGH REGULATIONS TO EXPLORE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DESIGNED 100 M HEIGH TOWER IN PRAGUE.

Project description

THE URBAN CONCEPT

AT FIRST, WE STUDIED MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF DENSE URBAN STRUCTURES AND WE ANALYZED THE URBAN BLOCKS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.

ACCORDING TO THE CHARACTER OF SUBURBAN STRUCTURES, WE DECIDED TO MAKE A CLOSED URBAN BLOCK WHICH OPENS TO ITS SURROUNDINGS BY GREEN PATHS AND GREEN SQUARES.

OUR URBAN CONCEPT REACTS ON HISTORICAL PATHS AND REFLECTS THE MEMORY OF THE RE-URBANIZED ERA. THE PATHS CONNECTS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CREATING NEW “GREEN” SHORTCUTS AND ENHANCING THE CONNECTIVITY.

THERE IS A NEW CULTURE CENTRE NEAR THE METRO STATION, NEW LIBRARY ON THE STREET WHICH CONNECTS NEARBY SCHOOLS AND A FITNESS AND WELLNESS CENTRE NEAR CENTRAL PARK.

THE INNER YARD OF THE BLOCK CONTAINS A WATER FOUNTAIN WITH VARIOUS GREEN PLACES, WHERE YOU CAN SIT OR EAT OR JUST STOP AND WATCH THE LIFE FLY BY. THE CLOSED BLOCK OPENED TO NATURE BUILDS A SENSE OF BELONGING.

THE DOMINANT OF THIS BLOCK ARE SURELY TWO HEIGH TOWERS.
DESPITE TOWER'S GENEROSITY, OUR URBAN DESIGN RESPECTS THE SURROUNDING AREAS AND SUBURBIAN BLOCK STRUCTURES.

Technical information

THE GREEN FACADE

LIVING IN THE ERA, WHERE BUILDINGS ARE HIGHER, CITIES ARE WARMER AND PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR TOUCH WITH NATURE, CALLS FOR RESPONSIBLE, SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE.

INSPIRED BY STEFANO BOERI'S WORK, WE DESIGNED A FOUR - MODULE GREEN FACADE, WHICH PROVIDES ENOUGH GREENERY EVEN IN 100 M HEIGHTS. OUR GOAL WAS TO DESIGN A SYSTEM, WHICH ENABLES HIGH VARIETY, BUT IT IS MODULAR IN ITS CORE.

THE FACADE CONSIST OF FOUR MODULES, WHICH CAN BE MIRRORED AND DIFFERENTLY COMBINED. MODULES ALLOWS TO HAVE ONE BALCONY FOR EACH FLAT, TO GROW TALL TREES (UP TO 3 FLOORS HEIGH) AND TO COMBINE VARIOUS SPECIES OF PLANTS. IT ALSO ALLOWS TO HAVE MORE PLANTS/TREES IN LOWER LEVELS AND KEEP THE TOPS OF THE TOWERS LIGHTER AND WITH MORE VIEWS.

BASED ON PLANTS ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTABILITY, WE DID A BASIC SELECTION ACCORDING TO THESE ATTRIBUTES: NORTH/SOUTH PLANTS, WINTER RESISTANT PLANTS AND EASILY MAINTAINED PLANTS. WE CAREFULLY CHOOSE PLANTS FROM THE LUMION LIBRARY AND PLANTED THEM ON OUR BUILDINGS (BUT FOR THE REAL PROJECT, IT WOULD REQUIRE A MUCH DEEPER RESEARCH).

EXCEPT FOR THE BALCONIES, THE FACADE ALSO CONSISTS OF FLOWERPOT EDGING WHICH CAN BE ALSO IMPLANTED ON LOWER BUILDINGS UNIFYING THE VISUAL STYLE OF THE ENTIRE BLOCK.
THE BALCONIES ARE PROVIDED WITH STEEL FORTIFICATION, BUT THE GLASS RAILING CREATES A VISUAL EFFECT OF THE "LIGHT STRUCTURE" AND ALSO ENABLES TO SEE THE TRUE NATURE BEAUTY.

THERE ARE ALSO MODULAR GREEN PANELS ON THE TOP OF THE OUTER COLLUMS OF THE TOWERS STRUCTURE. PROVIDED BY Biotecture COMPANY.

THE FACADE GARDEN WILL BE MAINTAINED BY PROFESSIONALS, WHICH WILL ROPE DOWN FROM THE CRAIN ON TOP OF THE BUILDING. TOWERS ARE USING WASTEWATER AND UNDERGROUND WATER FOR THE SELF IRRIGATION SYSTEMA AND ALSO THE GROUND OF THE INNER SIDE OF THE BLOCK IS COVERED WITH STRIPS OF GREENERY WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO ABSORB RAINWATER AND RE-USED IT.

THE FLATS
THE FLATS RANGES FROM 1+KK to 4+kk DISPOSITIONS. THEY ARE CREATED TO BY ADAPTABLE FOR VARIOUS INVESTORS. THEIR MODULES CAN BE EASILY COMBINED.

Co-authors

Jan Nerud