Residence Františkov, Silesian Ostrava

The residential complex project in Františkov was created in response to the questions posed by a new developer when taking over an unfinished residential building project, which had been deteriorating on a lucrative plot in Ostrava for several years in the form of incomplete underground garages. How has the clientele of young people returning to Ostrava changed, how has the perception of above-standard housing evolved, what is the relationship of potential clients to public space, and how should housing influence such an interesting area like Na Františkově street.

The urban concept, based on the original layout of the mass, consists of a group of five three- to four-storey buildings, connected by an underground garage and interspersed with public space featuring greenery. Their orientation responds to the gently sloping terrain and aims to make the best use of the greatest advantage of the land, which is the possibility of beautiful views of both the specific skyline of Ostrava characterized by steelworks on one side, cooling towers on the other, and ultimately dominated by the town hall, as well as the peaks of the Beskids. All of this is underlined by "living in greenery," as the southern boundary of the plot is lined with a forest.

The layout solution is based on several principles, which are
- A spacious distinctive entrance to the building
- A well-lit entrance area to the individual apartments ending with French windows
- A simple, readable layout
- Separation of the relaxation and social parts of the apartment
- Living spaces oriented towards greenery/views
- Loggias offering views as well as plenty of privacy

The architectural design stems from the effort to soothe the awkward architectural concept of the surrounding buildings and to evoke a sense of uniqueness with simple, clean lines. A simple form was also chosen for the individual window openings and railings. The façade division, apart from tall windows, is created by a horizontal band that breaks up large uniform surfaces. The plinth and the cladding of the first underground floor are made of sandstone. The color scheme derives from the contrast of the delicate sandy color of the façade and the anthracite tint of the window frames, cladding, and other construction details.