The house on Otava is a proposal for the new Operational center in Strakonice located under the Povodí Vltava. The inspiration is its location in close proximity to the Otava River. In this place the river meanders, slows down and creates a bend within which the project site is located.
The building’s form takes inspiration from this water movement as well as it is a response to the defined building program and size limits of the site. Reflecting the functional requirement of the brief, an elegant curved roof was created that unites the two main programs into one building. The lower part of the building mass opens up a view of the horizon and thus does not disturb the panoramic views of the surroundings
(Kání vrh).
Inside, the service and admin areas logically follow each other along a central corridor. From the service area it is possible to enter with dry feet all heated garages and warehouses as well as the covered parking for tractors and vans. The office spaces are oriented to the northwest facade, framed with lamellas which together with the covered parking lot and vegetation helps to reduce the noise from Písecká Street. Technical facilities, warehouses and changing rooms are located to the east and create a noise barrier for the offices towards the dog shelter. In terms of energy the building follows passive house standards and is self-sufficient by the solar cells on the large roof area. The main material is wood, which is historically associated with the river not only with rafting but also with the construction of water works, for example the “Čeňnkova pila” sawmill located near the Otava spring. The size and shape of the roof allows the collection of rainwater that is reused within the building. These features will lead to maximum self-sufficiency and thus also energy savings and cutting financial demands for operation.
The proposal respects the specific assignment of the brief translated into an elegant and functional building with its own presence. It takes into account the client’s vision of a rational and sustainable project that represents their organization’s value and identity. It becomes an example of how even an operational building can represent a positive relationship with the environment and how good architecture can enrich the local context and the everyday life of the users.
LOCATION
YEAR
STATUS
SIZE
PROGRAM
CLIENT
TEAM
VISUALIZATION
2023
Honourable mention
1600 m2
Operational building
Povodí Vltavy
Hanna Johansson, Juras Lasovsky
The House on Otava The new operational center for Povodí Vltavy sits at the riverside of Otava. A sustainable building that represents Povodí Vltavy with a strong identity with a characteristic curved roof that brings to mind the hull of a boat; the curve of a meander or the movement of water. It becomes an example of how a building can have a positive relationship with the environment and how good architecture can enrich the local context and the everyday life of its users.
Office part The wooden structure is visible throughout the building, from interior spaces to the exterior. A modular facade where the wood creates a warm and welcoming apperance as well as communicating the high ambitions for sustainability this project holds.
Urban context The urban context of the new building is defined by the large scales, from large industrial halls to the big stroke of the Otava river and Písecká road. The proposed volume is in dialouge with these surroundings; a long yet slim building that has its own precence next to its neighbours at the riverbed of Otava.
Urban con Simple and democratic plan, where all employees sit on ground floor and under one roof
Diagram Schematic plans and landscape concept
Curve The new building sits at the riverside of Otava. A characteristic curved roof that brings to mind the hull of a boat, a curve of a meander or the movement of water - a curiosity awakens for passers-by and the building gets its own identity.
Elevation diagrams We consider a sustainable building to be an organism that reuses and recycles energy and resources in a flexible and sensible way. Where each output of heat, waste, water or CO2 is recycled and treated as an input for another use in order to create loops that rely as little as possible on energy and infrastructure. The new premises of Strakonice Operational Center is a respons to this and in line with the sustainability ambitions of Povodí Vltavy. The new building has a rational and efficient form and layout with a built in flexibility for future changes. It has carefully been studied how the building and its functions operates in the most efficient way and how both the landscape and the building can contribute to a better environment.
Meeting room is a flexible room that can be used by the employees daily for meetings and gatherings. It has the capacity of 30 seated persons with the possibility of different seating layouts and configurations depending on usage. It is placed right by the main entrance overviewing the arrival street and entrance plaza, which makes it an attractve room to bring visitors for meetings or presentations.
