Brněnec 2035: The Sustainable Living Village

Politechnika Wrocławska

Project idea

The subject of the work is the design of a sustainable multi-family housing estate on the site of a former textile factory in Brněnec, Moravia, Czech Republic. Regarding the studies, the issue of the relationship between the home and the workplace has been analysed in order to create an attractive living space that is adapted to current hybrid and remote working standards and allows for activities close to home. The concept also took into account ecological aspects through the use of passive house technology and respected the industrial historical context.

Additionally, the whole engineering thesis has been attached as a description file with graphical explanations.

Project description

The project is based on three main assumptions.

The first is to respect the historical context and relate it to the different periods that have left their mark on the site. First of all, thanks to information found on a Czech geoportal, it was established that a mill existed on the plot in the past, together with a feeder canal in the place of which a sewer is now buried. It was decided to expose the old mill channel and give it the function of a new, open vegetation-retention path which, if necessary, collects excess rainwater. In addition, the remnants of the old foundations of the factory hall were used for the foundation of the new buildings' structure, reducing the interference with the site considerably. This has more benefits, as part of the site is in an active flood zone and raising the buildings above ground level reduces the risk of flooding.

The second aspect is the use of environmentally sustainable passive house building solutions and bringing the volume, orientation and technology of the building up to contemporary environmental standards. The longer building façades are oriented to the south to maximise passive energy gains from the sun's rays. The design also uses strategies identified during the analysis in Climate Consultant 2.0 suitable for Brnenec's geographical location.

The third, relating to the conceptual level, is an attempt to define the problem causing the depopulation of small towns and to propose solutions which, in addition to the residential function, provide space for remote working, hybrid working and services of a different scale and nature in the study area. The project proposes a return to the functional dualism of the buildings, again allowing a combination of housing and income-generating space. The designed flats have the potential to modify the ratio of living to working spaces - it could be a separate small section of kitchen table, it could be one or two offices or even a full mezzanine floor in the case of top floor flats. It may also be two connected units, with one serving as a flat and the other as an office. In extreme cases, tenants may prefer to literally live 'at work', For example, a group of artists who often blur the boundaries between their private and professional lives will treat their flat fully as a studio, for example a painting studio.

The ruins of the existing buildings have been fitted with a new wooden structure on the inside. This will make it possible to provide suitable conditions for their new functions and to expose and preserve the old brick structure. It is envisaged that the larger buildings will serve as local activity spaces, for example kindergartens, medical facilities, cafe's and restaurants some of which have the access to the roof terraces. The smaller buildings will be used for domestic and horticultural functions or the site maintainance.

The Newly Developed Residential Estate project is connecting the now derelict area to the rest of the village and restoring it to its former vibrancy. By providing a range of new retail and service outlets while maintaining and respecting the scale of the site, it creates an alternative to the existing village centre.

Residential units:

The south-oriented longer façade of the building is divided into smaller sections providing good light to each residential unit.

The staircases are located in the middle of the building. Near them, space has been designed for sewer risers, mechanical ventilation ducts and gravity ventilation risers.

Spaces adjacent to the main pedestrian and vehicular thoroughfare accommodate services such as office or catering units. The designed modules can be freely modified and a wide cross-section of usable areas can be designated within the structure.

The black rectangles indicate the areas that can be used for work and vice versa.

Along the south façade, open-plan living areas with kitchenettes have been designed, which can also provide a well-lit workspace. Due to the elongated nature of the residential units, rooms that serve as bedrooms or additional offices have been located to the north. The living and bedroom areas are separated by bathroom blocks.

Technical information

A timber frame construction was designed. The main structural panel is made up of glued laminated timber beams spaced at 60cm intervals and filled with insulating material.

For the foundation of the structure of the buildings located in the areas of the former textile factory buildings, the remains of the foundations were used, on which reinforced concrete columns with a cross-section of 30x30cm were poured. The connecting element between the wooden structure and the foundations are steel I-beams IPN 220 with a spacing of 30cm from ground level.

The structural grid of the buildings in places that do not overlap with the structural grid of the former hall will be supplemented with new additional footings. The maximum floor spacing of 4.30m ensures that the structure can be constructed economically and affordably, increasing the chances of using the workshop of local craftsmen and nearby sawmills.

The silhouette of the chimney roof was based on the external walls and at two points between their spans along the length of the building.

The cross-section characterises the layout of the chimney roof created to enlarge the loft space and also to provide better daylight, which will reduce the need for electricity.

It is also worth noting the remains of the hall foundations used for the foundation of the new structure, marked in red. We can see poured reinforced concrete footings with a section of 30x30cm. The connecting element between the wooden structure and the foundations are steel I-beams IPN 220 located 30cm above ground level.

For the finishing of the façade, planks from the manufacturer THERMORY were chosen that undergo thermal modification, which increases their resistance to weathering. Installed in a click system, with a variety of profiles and colours, they can be manufactured from regionally available timber.

Galvanised steel sheet with a steel thickness of 0.70 mm and a profile height of 37 mm was used to cover the roof.
The elevations show a designed wall made of demolition materials creating semi-private spaces between the main road and the building entrances.

The project has taken into account the needs of disabled people with limited mobility. Each entrance to a residential building or commercial premises is served by a ramp with a minimum width of 1.20m, with handrails on both sides and a slope of no more than 5%. A horizontal plane of movement of at least 1.50 m is provided at the start and end of the ramp. The dimensions of the ramp are at least 1.5x1.5 m beyond the opening field of the entrance door leaf.

1.50 m wide paved non-slip accesses have been provided from the roads leading to the plot to the building entrances. Handicapped parking spaces have been provided in the study area at the shortest distance to the main entrances. Hardened accesses, with slopes of less than 5%, have also been designed to services located on the ground floor, recreation areas, solid waste collection areas. A type of staircase with lifts suitable for people with mobility impairments has been designed.

Balustrades on balconies, at ramps and along platforms providing access to the doors of the building have been designed at a height of 1.10 m and are equipped with additional handrails at a height of 75 cm and 90 cm from the plane of movement. The spacing between the balustrade infill elements does not exceed 10 cm.

The project uses triple-glazed timber windows with aluminium cladding from the manufacturer Neuffer . Combined with spacer bars, they provide adequate airtightness and thermal efficiency. They are certified for passive houses with a heat transfer coefficient of 0.8 W/m2K.

The window sashes above the second storey open inwards.

Documentation

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