X. Bohuslav Fuchs Award - winning projects

Echosound
Prepared by: Bc. Karolína Melichárková and Bc. Tereza Buryová
Project leaders: MArch. Ing. arch. Jan Kristek and Ph.D., Ing.arch. Jaroslav Sedlák

THE MALOMĚŘICE AREA IS A PART OF THE CITY OF BRNO, THROUGH WHICH THE SVITAVA RIVER FLOWS. THERE IS PREDOMINANTLY FAMILY HOUSING, A RAILWAY FREIGHT TRANSPORT HUB, AND IN THE NEARBY AREA, THE HÁDECKÁ PLATINA WITH A FORMER QUARRY.
IT WAS THE MALOMĚŘICE STATION THAT BECAME THE OBJECT OF OUR STUDY. THE AREA IS SUBJECT TO NOT ONLY GREAT WEIGHT, BUT ALSO NOISE LOAD. THE VALLEY SPACE RESONATES WITH A WIDE RANGE OF VARIED SOUNDS DEPENDING ON TRAIN TRANSPORT.
THE OPERATION OF THE STATION ITSELF HAS AN INTERESTING STRUCTURE. THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF MANAGING THE SPLIT TRANSPORT IS A PROCESS SUBJECT TO SOME SORT OF RULES, BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE A FIXED ORDER.
DISAPPEARING AND EMERGING TRAINS
THE ARRIVING ENDING FREIGHT TRAIN COMES TO A TRACK DESIGNATED BY THE SŽDC CONTROL CENTER.
HERE THE WAGONS ARE MECHANICALLY DISCONNECTED FROM EACH OTHER AND REMAIN ONLY ON THE BUFFER TO BE ABLE TO DISCONNECT FROM THE CONTROL MACHINE.
THE TRAIN CONDUCTOR GIVES A MESSAGE TO THE "CLASSIFIER" VIA RADIO, WHICH PROVIDES INFORMATION TO THE COMPUTER.
THE TRAIN RECEIVES CONSENT FOR REDISTRIBUTION BASED ON TABLES REGARDING WAGON RECORDS AND THEIR CONTENT.
THE TRAIN IS BROUGHT UP A GRADIENT HILL AND THE WAGONS ARE PUSHED INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE TRACKS ACCORDING TO THE LOAD DIRECTION.
AFTER ALIGNING THE WAGONS IN THE SAME DIRECTION OF DEPARTURE, THEY ARE MECHANICALLY PULLED BACK TOGETHER TO AVOID DISCONNECTING.
THEN THE CONNECTED ASSEMBLY IS ATTACHED TO A COMPATIBLE MACHINE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE SUM OF THE WAGON LOADS.
AND THEN IT WAITS...
AFTER CHECKING AND ENTERING THE REPORT INTO THE TABLES, THE TRAIN WAITS FOR A GAP IN THE TRAFFIC TO BE DISPACHED.
IT CAN WAIT ALL DAY, BECAUSE IN RAIL TRANSPORT, PASSENGER TRANSPORT AND TRAINS THAT HAVE REQUESTED A PASSAGE IN ADVANCE ALWAYS TAKE PRIORITY.
WHEN THE CONTROL CENTER ISSUES AN ORDER, THE TRAIN IS DISPACHED AND DEPARTS FROM THE MALOMĚŘICE TRANSFER STATION.
THE SPACE OF RECORDING IMAGE OR SOUND HAS BECOME A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE FOR US.
WHILE RECORDING THE VISUAL TRACK, WE DISCOVERED HOW SOUND DIVERSE THIS SPACE IS. TRAINS, THEREFORE MACHINES AND WAGONS, ARE THE SOURCE OF ENGINE NOISE, BRAKING SOUNDS, THE SOUND OF DISCONNECTING OR CONNECTING HEAVY METAL, AND MANY OTHERS. SOUNDS OF SWITCHES, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, AND RADIOS.
THE BRIDGE IS DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY THESE SOUNDS AND THE RESONANCE IS TRANSMITTED INTO ITS STRUCTURE, WHICH VIBRATES. THIS VIBRATION IS SENSIBLE AND NOTICEABLE WHEN WALKING ON THE BRIDGE.
IN THE STUDY OF SOUNDS, WE DISCOVERED WHAT EFFECTS SOUNDS CAN HAVE ON HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY OR HOW THEY CAN AFFECT THE ORGANISM.
SOUND IS, AFTER ALL, MECHANICAL WAVE MOVEMENT IN A MATERIAL ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER, THE HUMAN EAR IS ABLE TO TRANSMIT SOUND IN A RANGE OF 16HZ TO 21000HZ.
AT LOWER FREQUENCIES (INFRASOUND), THE TONES BECOME PAINFUL, AND SO THE MEDIATOR (EAR) SPARES US THIS PAIN. HOWEVER, THE HUMAN ORGANISM STILL PERCEIVES THESE FREQUENCIES, EVEN THOUGH A PERSON IS NOT AWARE OF THEM. THEY THEN AFFECT THE ORGANISM.
HIGH FREQUENCIES ARE ULTRASONIC FREQUENCIES. THEY DEFINE OUR VISUAL PANORAMA, BECAUSE IT IS THE COLORS THAT SPREAD THROUGH THIS SPECTRUM INTO OUR EYES.
THE INSPIRATION FOR US WAS THE MUSICAL BOW, A SINGLE-STRINGED INSTRUMENT, PRIMARILY USED IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND IN THE PAST, IN SOUTH AMERICA.
IT IS SIMILAR TO A HUNTING BOW, FROM WHICH IT IS USUALLY DISTINGUISHED BY THE TENSION OF THE STRING, WHICH IS VIBRATED BY QUICK STRIKES.
TO EXPAND THE TONE POSSIBILITIES OF THE MUSICAL BOW, THE PLAYER SOMETIMES USES FINGERS OR A STICK: WITH THEIR HELP, THEY SHORTEN THE STRING AND THUS OBTAIN A HIGHER TONE.
THE PLAYER'S ORAL CAVITY SERVES AS A RESONATOR (THE STRING PASSES BETWEEN THE LIPS, WHICH DO NOT TOUCH IT), OR AN ADDITIONAL RESONATOR IS CONNECTED - OFTEN MADE OF GOURD.
STEEL CABLES AMONG THE RODS ARE DISTINGUISHED BASED ON REAL SOUNDS OF DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES. THEY CREATE SOMETHING COMPLEX IN THE GIVEN AREA.
THIS SOUNDING CABLE STRUCTURE WILL BE DEVELOPED INTO INDIVIDUAL LOAD-BEARING ELEMENTS OF THE OBJECT INSPIRED BY BOWS. THE RESONATOR WILL BE MADE OF WALKABLE MATERIAL AND SO THE BRIDGE WILL BE RECOGNIZED UNDER THE FEET OF PASSERSBY.

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Kindergarten in Semily under Varta
Prepared by: Linda Boušková, Ondřej Vik, Nikola Kumstátová, Vojtěch Petr Štýbnar, Ema Pavlovská
Project leader: Ing. arch. David Mikulášek

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Strategy for Dolní Kounice
Prepared by: Bc. Daniel Struhařík, Bc. Štěpán Vašut, Bc. Ondrej Palenčar
Project leaders: Ing. arch. Pavel Jura, Ing. arch. David Mikulášek

The last year of study. The next semester awaits us with a diploma thesis. Then it's already practice. The final work should be something fundamental. Something different than workshop projects, where we searched, refined our opinions, and tried to navigate in our field. We chose the construction of a community center as the theme. A building that will be a multipurpose space for countless events in the city. A building where trainings can take place as well as a venue for balls.
We started by looking for a location. We contacted smaller towns in the region. After personal visits to seventeen towns and discussions with local representatives, we selected Dolní Kounice. Here our assignment intersected best with the actual needs of the municipality.
After analysis, searching for background, discussions with project leaders and external experts, we spent a week in Kounice. We slept at the local fire station and worked in a meeting room at the town hall. Thanks to this, we could perceive the actual needs of the town. It would not have been possible in a one-day visit. Kounice has a strong spirit, and we felt our work was important (mainly not to mess it up).
From the beginning, it was clear that solving only a cultural house/community center was not appropriate.
We wanted to approach the town comprehensively. We understand the cultural house as part of a whole. Therefore, it cannot be solved independently. During our daily walks, we discussed individual locations with the locals, and subsequently had our first discussion in the cultural house. With primary school students and residents at a discussion we created a feeling map. This helped us uncover places that have their quality - which we wanted to support – and places that are not ideal – for which we suggested how to better utilize them.
We chose more than fifteen places, neurological points, to focus on. Our goal was for our proposal to not draw attention to itself. To become a natural part of the town. A town that is very strong and beautiful. The second discussion with the citizens was a great boost for us before the end. It was great to feel that the locals understand us. During the presentation, several other places were added, and the existing ones were adjusted.
Suddenly we saw that our work can have a real impact. Even though it involves small interventions, they are undoubtedly significant architecture. Architecture that does not exhibit. Architecture that simply is.