The project brief was to convert and extend the existing historic papermill buildings into a mixed-use area comprising a new nursery school, primary school, local retail, and flexible co-working spaces, with a mix of loft style apartments located on the upper levels. The water wheel building, original used to raise water into the heart of the old mill is to be renovated and converted into a public café, with new terraces and landscape framing beautiful views over the rejuvenated millpond previous used as the primary source of water for the mill.

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The rejuvenated millpond forms a new natural heart for the community and will be wrapped by a richly planted landscape which flows under all of the new buildings, creating a new community park with approximately 600 new residential apartments located in 8 new buildings on 7m high stilts.

 

The residential buildings are designed to maximise views through and across the park and river to the cityscape located on the horizon. Each building is designed to maximise the quality of internal light and residents’ wellbeing, and to minimise energy use as low energy buildings. All roofs will be covered with greenery, integrating rainwater farming and retention systems and solar panels for power generation and hot heating hot water. Collected rainwater will be used for irrigation, and grey water from apartments will pass through heat recovery systems and the then reused for flushing of toilets and domestic clothes washing.

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Triple glazing and high levels of insulation will be used throughout the project, minimising heat loss with careful attention being paid to creating airtight and cold-bridge free construction. MVHR systems will recover heat and cool from the apartment interiors, with heat generation being produced by ground source heat pumps to compliment the heat recovery and solar generation systems.

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All parking areas will provide for electric car charging, pram, pushchair, and cycle storage, with washing facilities located in each block. Every apartment will benefit from a balcony, logia or terrace, and the apartment mix in each block is designed to ensure a rich mix of occupancies are encouraged throughout the community from studios up to 4 bedrooms.

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The project is planned to be built in four phases, with the first phase slated for construction in 2026-2028 including construction of a new cycle path connecting to the local Prague cycle network. The riverbank will be renovated at the beginning, and will provide a new wild nature area, dog park and many activity and sport spaces for the local community, visitors to the Bubeneč park, and children attending the newly planned schools.