In the summer of 2016, the state enterprise Lesy České republiky, which manages the Czech forest resources, held a representative competition for a new symbolic building for its central campus. The authors of the winning project were inspired by the views of the surrounding landscape: the office is located in Hradec Králové near the forest of the same name. In addition, impressed by the freshness of the forest air, the architects turned to the concept of working outside the walls of the building, when on a summer day you can take a laptop and leave with it from the stuffy office under the shade of trees. This is how the project appeared, which was noted by the jury for an innovative approach to the openness of an administrative institution, modularity and well-thought-out inclusion in the natural environment.
The building in the plan seems to grow from the main entrance. It is flanked by the volumes of a conference room and a cafe-dining room and leads to the core of the building, in which public functions are grouped, in particular, a library and a meeting room. Further, in the direction of the forest, five "branches" stretch to accommodate five divisions of the company. The modular structure ensures the autonomy of each block, where ordinary office corridors are replaced by semi-private “sub-centers” with kitchens and storage rooms. Modules can be isolated or combined into an open space.
The so-called nature trail is the key link that brings the project together: it begins on a green roof designed to showcase the elements of sustainable forest development as well as the placement of solar panels. Further, a sculptural loop in the lobby - a staircase with a slide - descends and leads outward, outlining a winding path around the building and providing access to outdoor spaces for work and play. The trail will be open to "business" visitors and tourists, for whom there is even an information center in the building.
The area around the headquarters is divided by its modules into six sectors, each of which will create a "miniature" of one of the types of forests typical for the Czech Republic. As they grow, these fragments will ensure the "implantation" of the object into the environment, and the arrangement of the surrounding spaces will connect them with the main forest. In addition, the shape of the building will allow you to see all forest scenes at once right from the lobby. The landscape design was carried out by the Czech architect Tomáš Babka and the Austrian team breathe.earth.collective.
One of the "ecological" conditions of the competition was the maximum use of wood in the project, so most of the structures were proposed to be made of laminated veneer lumber, and the facades were to be made of wood and glass panels. In addition, the abundance of wood in the light-flooded interior will create the feeling of a forest glade.
It is assumed that the building will consume almost zero energy. In addition to the usual proposals like thermal wells, LED lighting and the aforementioned solar panels, its very shape will contribute to more efficient heat dissipation, and a rainwater collection pond will become an element of the landscape. Parking, fitness center and storage facilities are planned on the underground level.
