Architectural Study of FaVU and FA VUT

In response to the VUT Brno call, we have elaborated on the individual aspects of our competitive proposal in more detail, from the construction concept, garden space to sustainable building development, while also reconsidering some decisions in favor of the end user of the campus after a period of reflection.
The explanatory text is conceived as a continuation of the report from the first round, where the urban planning situation of the "Údolní" site, its historical development, and location within Brno were analyzed, and where the authors' solution for this locality was described with a vision for a future campus of artistic (or technical) schools; towards a city that is an open academic-societal center with modern institutions whose importance lies in the general spread of the ethos of art.
In the next phase of the proposal, we confirm the significance of the entrance piazza to the campus as a public space that now allows access to both faculties, is more concentrated, and connects their academic land with the historical center. It provides a platform for free informal meetings and social dialogue. We understand the small square as an element reflecting urban life and propose supplementation with art pieces in the form of fragmentalizing texts (see the explanation of the concept in the attachment of the text report). We complement both gables of buildings U1 and U2 in the described manner, thereby concluding the composition of historical objects. We change their "blind" orientation into a dignified foreground, as if the main facades (thus not blind backdrops merely framing contemporary architecture). The supplemented entrance structure and monumental benches are not resolved in a contrasting manner.
The arrangement of faculties, individual functions, and volumes of new buildings remain the same, despite minor adjustments. However, we propose a clearer delineation of the campus with respect to the city, and reflect the user's need for managed operations with a degree of public entry control, clarity, and the possibility of closing the campus outside school operation hours. We transform the public park (from the 1st round of the competition) into a semi-public garden of a more intimate character with clearly designated entrances. Entry is through gates over "calming" platforms made of compacted gravel, serving as filters between the hustle of the city and the peace of the garden. The garden now reaches the edge of FAVU (U2) and provides artists with active connectivity to greenery. The delimitation of the "Údolní" interior block garden from the bustling city enhances its attractiveness for VUT and the public and dramatizes its entrances.
The new constructions seem to levitate in the garden, their exact forms blurred by a veil of perforated sheet metal stretched over their "bones," which forms part of the perimeter wall and also serves as a common denominator of the new architecture. It reflects the sun, greenery, sky, and depending on the weather creates a mutable diffuse three-dimensional image. We propose to finish the perforated sheets with a baked paint of gray-brown color that complements the historical architecture and reflects the earthy location within the greenery.
In the architectural solution, we emphasize economy and spatial efficiency. The relationship with historical objects is defined sensitively "at the joint," without numerous costly atriums or gaps. The social spaces of both schools are particularly essential in the academic environment - in the proposal, we maximize them and place them in necessary locations, e.g., the entry spaces of both faculties and zones for teachers and students to meet for teaching. We expand the informal social hall of FAVU in the Saly tereny space and reflect the need for resting areas for teachers at both faculties. The layout is designed with maximum flexibility necessary for studio teaching, allowing for the establishment of individual facilities in the studios. The spaces for assistants and doctoral students are also flexible.
We revise the social center with an auditorium and adapt it to the requirement for flexible exhibition space for various forms of events. The exhibition space is in a terminal position (no longer a thoroughfare) and adheres more closely to the exhibition courtyard and garden. Its storage and facilities are suitably dimensioned and allow for refreshments during openings. At the same time, exhibitions can be conducted independently of the activities of both schools even after the campus closes.
The interiors of the FAVU and FA spaces are schematically indicated in perspectives. We propose a neutral material concept that can withstand rougher operation, the moving of school works and materials, and the working deployment of students. The color scheme is limited to the use of natural materials that are industrially durable and neutral shades of white and gray, not influencing free artistic creation and imagination.

GARDEN CONCEPT
The garden creates a semi-closed space, connecting all university buildings and offering recreation opportunities for students and visitors of the campus. The garden can be accessed through four entrances with lockable gates, each highlighted by a surface of mechanically stabilized gravel. From the MZK, connecting pedestrian pathways are also designed.
The central space is grassy; the aim was to preserve as many valuable existing trees as possible and to maintain the natural slope of the terrain, only with gentle finishing modeling, allowing for the creation of pleasant stay areas. Informally arranged benches are distributed throughout the lawn. In the garden, we propose only mature trees to keep the space clear and allow for a sense of freedom. The trees can be divided into several categories: in the central area, we propose larger solitary trees (e.g., red oak). On the southern side of the campus, we create denser formations of trees – (groups, clusters), under whose crowns a place for rest in the shade emerges (e.g., birches, maples, switchels, or ornamental cherries). In the library courtyard, we propose the three-thorned locust tree – a tree with a sparser crown, preserving the view of the extensions of the Architecture Faculty while increasing the privacy of the library. We also propose the restoration of a tree line on Tvrdý street in its original species – linden, thus spatially anchoring this part of the campus – the edge of the garden. This is demarcated from the city by the existing historic pillar wall and only visually exposed at the entrance by a simple fence with a gate.
Another type of greenery consists of extensive roof areas on the newly designed garages and exhibition space. These masses are low, thus their roofs will be applicable from views of the surrounding buildings. Dry-adapted plants, mainly sedums and stonecrops, will be planted on the roofs. The roofs will require no increased maintenance.

BUILDING ENERGY DEMAND SOLUTION
The new constructions are architecturally designed as a compact whole with minimal subdivision. This achieves a very good ratio of the area of external structures to the volume and usable area of the objects. Also, the sizes and placements of glazed areas and their shading are chosen so that with sufficient lighting of the rooms there are no excessive thermal loads from the external environment during the summer. By appropriately distributing opening openings in the external envelope and roof of the building, it is possible to achieve natural ventilation of the building for most of the year. By leveraging the accumulation capacity of internal structures (reinforced concrete structures without suspended ceilings), this spatial layout allows a significant reduction in installed cooling and heating performance. For heating and possibly cooling, large surface heating/cooling systems (underfloor heating/cooling and tempering of building structures) are considered. The air conditioning system will ensure forced exchange with fresh air only in those areas where this cannot be secured naturally, thus in areas with increased thermal loads (e.g., the auditorium).
In cooperation with the construction profession, there is an effort to achieve an energy demand rating for the building at least at the SEN level < 80%, thus making it an energy-efficient building.

STRUCTURAL SOLUTION
In principle, for the extensions of the existing FAVU buildings (U2) and CEVAPA (U14), steel constructions are considered, and for the new extensions of the FA (U1), monolithic reinforced concrete constructions are proposed. This division is made solely on the consideration that steel structures are less massive than concrete ones and do not add substantial weight to the existing constructions. New structures will be optimized according to static requirements and for extensions also according to the results of necessary surveys of existing objects. The use of larger prefabricated elements that can be stored and safely installed inside the campus without transport limitations can also be considered. The proposed foundation constructions will be adapted to hydrogeological conditions, and concentrated loads near existing constructions will be transferred by deep foundations (e.g., micropiles). The proposed horizontal constructions are mostly large-span due to the necessary spatial flexibility, and their lightening is assumed to limit their own weight.
Demolition is proposed in the areas of the entrance spaces of both faculties and in the extreme parts of U1 and U2 for the purposes of new escape staircases. The proposal preserves the existing roofs of all historical objects.
FA U1: in the existing building, we propose to construct a new entrance after dismantling the corner structure. For the planned entrance hall of the Faculty of Architecture, part of the horizontal and vertical structures will need to be demolished in its layout and replaced with new ones.
FAVU U2: the historical structure is extended by a new part attached along the length to the existing two-winged building. The existing staircase at the site of the extension is proposed to be removed and replaced with a new staircase space integrated into the newly conceived central communication lobby.
CEVAPO U14: a single-storey extension of the building is proposed as a light steel structure anchored to the existing modified masonry.
FAVU U3: the building will be adapted for use for sculpture studios, two-storey with suspended steel galleries.

TRANSPORT SOLUTION
The transport solution of the campus was detailed in the text report of the first round of the competition. Graphically, movement within the campus is indicated in the diagram on drawing no. 2.

FIRE SAFETY MEASURES
The fire safety measures solution respects the relevant normative requirements; all objects are divided into fire sections. The structural system of all objects is non-combustible. Access areas for fire intervention are proposed in the landscaped areas, which have a reinforced basis. Objects U1 and U2 are each vertically connected by three escape staircases leading directly to the ground, two of which are protected escape routes of type B with overpressure ventilation. The position of the staircases provides each classroom and office with 2 unprotected escape routes. The extension of FA contains three protected escape routes of type B – two in the artist studio building and one in the auditorium and exhibition space. A self-ventilating device is installed in the auditorium. Unprotected escape routes lead from the U3 and U14 objects. All protected escape routes (staircases) allow an immobilized person to shelter on the landing without spatial limitations for their escape (according to international experience). The collective garages are divided into two fire sections and are connected by two escape staircases.

Gordon Montague, Dipl.Arch. RIBA, Great Britain – cooperation (heritage care)
Prof. Ing.arch. Miroslav Masák – cooperation (building typology)
MgA. Zbyněk Baladrán – artistic cooperation
Dipl.Ing. Jan Žemlička – cooperation (building interiors, sustainable development)
Ing. Jan Přikryl – cooperation (statics, structural solutions)
Ing. Martina Vlnasová, atelier A05 – cooperation (park and garden arrangements)
Ing. Petr Ježek – cooperation (visualization)
Ing.arch. Zdeňek Heřman – cooperation, authorized architect ČKA
Ing. Antonín Žižkovský – cooperation (transport solution)
Ing. Jarmila Kubínová – cooperation (fire safety solution)