Technological Center SAF

Kamenický Strojmetal is involved in manufacturing primarily in the automotive industry. At the same time, it is active in the field of innovations through the development of superconducting materials. As part of the company's site development, there was a requirement to create a technological center for the development and diagnostics of its own products.
The project thus addresses the challenging task of placing the technological center in a heritage building, which has once again become part of the entire production area after years. The investor's requirement to use a historical building of the castle for this function was from the beginning seen as highly debatable, considering the building's construction-technical condition left by the previous owner, the craftsmanship required for its restoration, and especially the ongoing conflict between the needs of the technological center and heritage protection.
Ultimately, a new building was created, inspired by the technical structures of similarly old castle complexes. The part that is noise-sensitive or does not require access to daylight is located underground, in the natural terrace of the wall, while clean laboratories and associated spaces are situated in the above-ground, glass portion of the building. The mass of the greenhouse naturally complements the terrace space on the walls, where an intimate garden for the users of both buildings is created.
The idea of establishing a training facility in the neo-Gothic villa, where the company would train staff for its operations, has not yet been realized. However, the relationship between the school and the technological space of the laboratories, which can motivate students to higher ambitions, is something we are very excited about and consider it logical and forward-thinking. Equally interesting is the perspective from the other side, when the factory sees how new colleagues are growing up. Both components can influence each other in this space, just as the new "greenhouse" already communicates with its older stone neighbor.