Students in the competition presented designs for energy-efficient family homes

Prague - Do this year's fourth edition of the student architectural competition Czech Self-Sufficient House, dozens of students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia have registered. From their designs for family homes that save drinking water and are independent of electricity supplies for most of the year, the jury selected the eight best proposals. The winner was Jiří Petrželka, a student from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at ČVUT, with a proposed wooden house that utilizes energy produced by rooftop photovoltaic panels for three-quarters of the year. This was announced today by representatives of the platform Czech Self-Sufficient House.

The competition participants were tasked with designing the use of a specific plot of land in Český Krumlov. In addition to utilizing an environmentally friendly philosophy and partial energy independence, adhering to a height limit was also a requirement. A smaller house for a family of four could have a maximum of two floors or one floor with an attic. Interested parties can study the best proposed projects on the competition's website.

"In the Czech Republic, an average of 50 percent of all electricity is generated from coal per year. Approximately one-third of that is consumed by household outlets. One household thus consumes an average of 1.3 tons of coal annually just for electricity. I believe it makes sense to build or renovate houses in a way that they do not waste energy, generate part of it themselves, and consume it on-site. The competition aims to help build a generation of professionals who can design such houses," said Pavel Podruh, the founder of the competition and platform Czech Self-Sufficient House.

The winning house design features photovoltaic panels embedded in the roof, which, along with a battery storage system, ensure the house's energy self-sufficiency for 265 days. The house also recycles wastewater from the kitchen and bathroom and utilizes rainwater. This way, it can save up to half of its drinking water consumption. The proposal indicates that the construction costs for the 106 square meter building should reach four million crowns.

Student designs may see implementation. In September, for example, two island houses designed by Vojtěch Lichý, the winner of the first edition of the competition, will begin construction. "The task of the Czech Self-Sufficient House is very challenging every year. It always corresponds with market developments and simultaneously keeps pace with technological advancements. It pushes the boundaries of people's thinking as well. It is important for the public to see that such houses can be built and that it is not an academic exercise," stated Jana Hořická, deputy head of the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at ČVUT in Prague.

The Czech Self-Sufficient House annually announces an architectural competition of the same name focused on designing environmentally friendly buildings. In addition to ČVUT, universities in Brno, Ostrava, Liberec, České Budějovice, and Bratislava participate in it. In the next edition, students will design an entire neighborhood in a specific development project.