Chapter 3 - Demonstrations
-
Czech Republic, Kašava
The “Kašava” multiple dwelling is situated in the North-East part of the Zlín region. It is composed of 2 flats for the teachers of a nearby nursery school and is permanently occupied. The façade is made of a 45 cm full brick wall (no insulation). The building is classified as “F” in the energy consumption system used in the Czech legislation. The envelope will be renovated in PLURAL (ca. 400m2 façade including windows).
The Kašava demo site, situated in the Zlín region of the Czech Republic and owned by the Municipality of Kašava, is undergoing a transformation led by Pich Architects. Originally built in the 1950s as part of an elementary school, the multifamily house – headmaster's residence, nestled into a southern slope. The two-story structure, with a basement, had a smaller usable space on the second floor due to its roof design. While the room orientation is advantageous, the layout no longer meets modern family living standards. Constructed traditionally with bricks and reinforced concrete ceilings, the house relied on a coal boiler for heating until the late 1990s, when it was updated with electric boilers. Today, the building serves as housing, accommodating two apartments for teachers from a nearby nursery school.
The primary goal of the renovation is to enhance energy efficiency and user comfort by upgrading the entire thermal envelope of the building. This involves using PnU kits to insulate external walls and modified prefabricated elements for new roof structures. Recognizing that the existing roof shape didn't optimize space or allow for easy PnU kit application, the design team decided to change the roof's configuration.
In addition to insulation, ventilation units with heat recovery are integrated to enhance air quality and user comfort. Furthermore, renewable energy sources like photovoltaic panels and a heat pump are being installed to decrease primary energy consumption. These measures aim to modernize the Kašava demo site while making it more sustainable and comfortable for its occupants.