Pilana Karbid - production and administrative facility

PILANA Karbid s.r.o. is a young family-owned Czech company specializing in the production of carbide tools. The company is located in a historic factory complex near Hulín, which has an 85-year tradition of manufacturing cutting tools. In the eight years since its establishment, production has developed, and the company now employs 45 people. Due to this growth, the original facilities became insufficient, leading to the need to build a new structure. A new hall and an adjoining administrative building were created in two stages. Despite rapid growth, the need for closeness within the company remained. Communication within the building and the effort to maintain a reasonable distance and visual contact among people became the main theme of the architectural design.

The PILANA factory complex is a built-up and busy space. For the new construction, it was important to consider the limited space with no prospect of further expansion into the surroundings. On a 2450 m² plot, a single-storey hall was first constructed, followed by a three-storey building with a projecting/recessed upper floor, which can potentially be supplemented with another level and an entry space in the future. The rectangularly shaped hall meets strict manufacturing requirements. There is ample natural light penetrating through large windows and skylights intentionally oriented to the north. The space is clear and clean, with a year-round stable temperature of around 24°C. The hall features a walkable green roof and is clad in sandwich panels that transition to the administrative part. The three-storey administrative building has a monolithic concrete frame that is exposed in the interior. The individual offices are sized and have a low ceiling height similar to rooms in family homes rather than in spacious open spaces. An important communication element inside the building is a small covered atrium that allows light to penetrate. The walls of both the hall and administrative sections are highly transparent, with only the elevator shaft and the entrance to the building highlighted in the company's blue color. From one building, one can see into the other; views of the working company are also possible from the exterior. Visitors can observe the movement within the buildings, while employees can see who is arriving. In the atrium, there are walkways functioning as meeting places and a path to the green roof, which offers views of the Hostýn Hills.

Along with the new structures, the adjoining parking lot has also been modified. Similar curves as those on the administrative building are utilized here as well, and trees have been planted to complement the greenery on the roof.