VÁŽANSKÝ JABČÁK - rural chateau renewal

Bauhaus University (BUW), Faculty of Architecture, Weimar, Germany

Project idea

Main purpose of my design was preserving as much as possible from the original and slight cleanup between newer elements of low value. Other was keeping the rural and local atmosphere, characterized by agriculture, good food and drinking with your friends, rational thinking and proximity of nature. Next important target was to attract regional tourism to the building and the village.
That’s why I rejected the original plan of the municipality to build seniors’ dwelling, and because of historical agricultural, residential and representational use of the building and the regional importance of fruit growing, I propose the use of it for manufacturing and selling of apple products - cider and calvados, agrotourism and showcasing of the production and temporary lodging. Paying respect to the material and philosophical spirit of the building was the key element of my design.

Project description

The former rural chateau of Vážany is located in the middle of the village and its oldest part comes from the renaissance, later being amended by many extensions and other changes. Inside there is a courtyard, extending up towards the agricultural district, and to the north of the building there is a neglected garden through which the visitor comes. Nowadays just few rooms of the chateau are used, mainly for occasional beauty salon and for gathering of local huntsmen’s and petkeepers’ clubs.

Functionally, there will be the room for manufacturing and storing of apple wine and spirit (cider and calvados) in the southern wings’ first floor, connected together newly through the core of the building and traditionally through the courtyard, which will also in the sense of agrotourism work as a place of group meeting of guests, exchanging and drinking cider under the apple trees. The corner tract’s 1st floor will be used for administration of the whole and the large beautiful hall for presentation and selling the products. The neglected chateau garden becomes the recreational centre of the village with children’s playground. The largest structural change happens in the second floor. In its southern wing there will be a large lodgeroom under new nowadays unusual wooden truss (Emy), replacing currently unused loft. It will be accessible from both courtyard and the corner tract. In the corner tract’s 2nd floor there will also be two rooms for guests - agrotourists. They may use the large hall, which is also rarely used by the local huntmen’s club. Both conserved attics will maintain small service disposition - laundry and air conditioning. In place of current neglected awning, new extension will be built, mainly for storing and repairing bicycles of the guests.

The eastern facade heads to the village’s main street and along with the northern (to the garden) is the most important, and therefore touched with special care. The garden will be furnished with benches and children’s playground and the main entrance for visitors will be kept. Owner of the lot neighbouring the courtyard plans to build an agressive concrete wall on the border which is the reason for planting new apple trees in front of it and along the road to the west to soften it. The road’s direction will be slightly changed to line up with the parcel’s unoriginal border and its surface will be from fine crushed brick to remind of the demolished brick structures.

Lodging capacity: up to 20 persons in the lodgeroom and 6 in the apartements
Production capacity: roughly up to 15.000 l cider/year, up to 1.500 l calvados/year

Technical information

CURRENT TECHNICAL STATE
The main problem of the building is dampness and moisture of load-bearing structures. There is no working hydroisolation. Some vaults are damaged by extensive stress. Sway bracing is not present which forms a threat of collapse. Impermeable floors built in the 20th century disabled airing and drying out. Current cement-limy plaster replaced previous limy plaster and suffers from the water. The clay tile roofing is severally damaged.

TECHNICAL REHABILITATION
The courtyard’s level will be lowered and the basement will be encircled by drainage system. New bond beam and tension rods will improve the bracing. The concrete floors will be replaced by lightweight igloo system which enables airing. Degraded plaster will be replaced with limy plaster, in exposed places veneered.

STRUCTURAL CHANGES
On the courtyard, a row of sheds will be demolished and only leave a footprint on the courtyard’s surface, which will be extended by 3 parking places. Some windows to the courtyard will be extended, creating higher openings and doors. The staircase along the southern wing will be replaced and a new one will be built to the western wing, whose preserved part will be closed by wall to the west. Steel-beared extension will be built in the northern part towards the garden, whose surface will be changed in shape and material (circular ceramic path). Steel ramps will be built to enable easy transport between some rooms in the 1st floor. The southern wing’s roof truss will be replaced by Emy’s system to enable large space under it with little interruption. Above a ceramic fill on the vaults, the floor will be of traditional wooden type as well as most other new structures because of their low requirements on the old structure and easy build.