Students Wiktor Macura, Alex Veselý, Jan Kobza and Bára Honsová from the Palacký-Dokoupilová studio succeeded in a national competition with a design for the Palacký Square in Kostelec nad Orlicí. They proved that energy savings in cities have a future. The Czech Energy and Environmental Project 2024 awarded them two awards: the General Patron Award, presented this year by the Rector of BUT, and the FENIX Award.

The square in Kostelec nad Orlicí represents an important public space with a cultural and historical identity. The goal of the four students was therefore to create a space that supports community life, increases the attractiveness of the center and contributes to improving its long-term sustainability.

In the architectural design, they work with a shared space that connects the transport, residential and commercial functions of the square. It includes, for example, the creation of multifunctional zones for cultural and social activities, the introduction of a shared zone to increase the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, the restoration of historical monuments or the planting of high-quality urban greenery, which will contribute to the improvement of the microclimate and aesthetic value of the entire space.

The award was received on behalf of the students at the gala evening, which took place on November 25, by their leader and guarantor, Jiří Palacký from the Faculty of Architecture of BUT. 

“We greatly appreciate the double award in the Czech Energy and Environmental Project 2024 competition. It confirms for us the meaning of a data-oriented approach in the design of architectural, urban and landscape modifications of public spaces, as in the case of Palacký Square in Kostelec nad Orlicí, where, among other things, we evaluated the cooling capacity of the blue-green infrastructure in alternative solutions. We see this as an encouragement to continue in this direction and lead students in the design of a sustainable and resilient urban environment, which is also one of the government priorities,” said Palacký.

The ČEEP competition supports projects and solutions aimed at increasing energy efficiency and safety, the principles of Industry 4.0 and the concepts of smart cities, thus developing competitiveness and innovation in the Czech Republic.