Next-Generation University Architecture
70 ǀ POSITIV 4/2025
ARCHITEKTURA
Next-Generaon
University Architecture
In this interview, architect Marn Chválek explains how, in the H extension to the VŠB–TU Ostrava
campus, he combined technological sophiscaon, sustainability and a meless form. The project
— recognised by both professionals and the general public — shows, he says, that architecture can
be not only aesthecally powerful but also socially responsible and funconally precise, seng
a new benchmark for university construcon in the Moravian-Silesian Region.
In the design brief for the H extension
on the VŠB–TU Ostrava campus, you placed strong
emphasis on sustainability, technology and user
comfort. Which specific elements do you consider
the most crucial, and why?
A key part is the architectural and technical concept
itself. The building is designed as a monoblock with
an open atrium and a highly robust structure. The main
advantages of this concept are its high thermal mass,
low temperature fluctuations throughout the day,
and the natural maintenance of a thermally stable
environment for offices and seminar rooms. Thermal
stability is one of the most important factors for both
comfort and energy performance — it reduces the load
on ventilation and cooling systems and helps to lower
operating costs.
The building was awarded the national SBToolCZ
quality certification, as it incorporates a number
of advanced technical and technological solutions
to achieve energy and economic efficiency:
• it operates a large photovoltaic power plant with
an annual output of 167,000 kWh
• it uses grey water for operational purposes
• to reduce thermal load, it employs triple glazing,
window shading, a ventilated ceramic façade
and internal heat recovery
• it makes use of easily recyclable materials with
a low carbon footprint
The project has already received the GRAND PRIX
award in the Building of the Moravian-Silesian
Region competition, as well as a national award
from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. How do you
perceive this form of recognition?
For me, these awards mean that we’ve succeeded
in bringing together two aspects that can sometimes
be difficult to reconcile — architectural quality on the
one hand, and high technical, energy and operational
standards on the other, all achieved at reasonable cost.
As an Ostrava-based studio, we take this national-level
recognition very personally.
Competitions emphasise the role of buildings that
“stand out above the average and become examples
of quality”. How did you define “above average”
for this project and what does it offer beyond
the ordinary?
We didn’t look for above-average quality in a single
flashy feature. It arose from a combination
of architectural quality, social responsibility and the
use of a sophisticated project methodology that goes
beyond standard practice.
We wanted to design a building that would feel
natural on campus yet cultivated. I see above-average
architectural quality in the harmony of function
and form: the building has a clear functional logic,
legibility and a clean, timeless architectural expression.
The harmony of function and form is not a compromise
— it is a state in which both components reinforce one
another to create a whole that feels natural, logical
and aesthetically strong.
We have already spoken about the building’s
sophisticated energy and environmental concept —
a level which, for an educational building in the Czech
Republic, still exceeds the usual standard.
We also perceived above-average quality in the
way the project was created. The university set out
We are managing to unite two levels:
architectural quality and, at the
same me, high technical, energy
and operaonal standards.