The energy of buildings is not just a carefully chosen way of heating. A quality energy solution requires a comprehensive approach, which begins with an architect's first thoughts on a way the building will be located with regards on cardinal directions, taking into account quality of the building envelope, heating and cooling, glazing and shading, etc. This is a conclusion all specialists agreed on during the Rethink Architecture: Energy lecture, organized by the Czech Green Building Council together with the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning.
"Nevertheless, the energy sector has only 18 % share in the complex of evaluation criteria of certification systems. Fully environmentally friendly buildings must address a number of other criteria, such as water, materials or waste management," said Jiří Cihlář, an energy auditor at the CEVRE Consultants. Therefore, one measure is not enough, for example, to place solar panels on a building is not enough to make the project a green building. The whole elaborate complex of measures is important. At the same time, it is necessary to look at the building and its energy consumption throughout its life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, through the production of building materials, construction, operation to its future demolition.
One of the most sophisticated examples of a green building in the Czech Republic, the ČSOB headquarters on Radlická Street was presented by the director of the facility management of ČSOB buildings, Daniel Rububicius, and the ecologist of the bank, Soňa Štětková. Already the original building from 2008, designed by Josef Pleskot, was revolutionary in terms of ecology and was the first one in the Czech Republic to receive the LEED certification, at the Gold level. The new building opened last year went even further. In addition to the measures already applied to the original northern building, such as the orientation of the building to the sides, sustainable LED lighting and great supply of daylight, natural day ventilation and night pre-cooling, and water and green roof retention, the new building also uses a geothermal probe for heating and cooling in conjunction with activated concrete and a number of other modern measures. The building has obtained the highest LEED Platinum certification in the New Construction category. "After a year of operation, it turns out that electricity consumption is so far about 20 percent lower than expected," said Štětková.
The architect plays a significant role in reducing the energy performance of buildings as a "conductor" of the entire design process. Ondřej Hofmeister from the Projektil architects studio showed examples of natural solutions an architect can use. The Sluňákov ecological education center, for example, is covered with clay on the north side and fully opens to the south, where the double façade with a terrace faces. The green residential roof has a combined function – it serves as a terrace with a view of the surrounding landscape and helps to insulate the building in summer and winter and to retain the rainwater. "Houses should not consume energy in the future but produce it. The city could then, by its very existence, contribute to the landscape," explained his view the architect.
The ultimate example of self-sufficiency is a house that is not connected to the grid. Such building is being created by the Czech Self-sufficient House organization and was presented by Pavel Podruh, who is responsible for the project. According to him, it is a laboratory, the aim of which is to verify theoretical ideas in practice and to offer green solutions applied in practice. Energy production is based on a solar system that covers the entire south side of the building. "Integrated solar panels with storage should be the standard for all buildings in the future," said Podruh.
Addressing the energy of buildings is very crucial in terms of sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings and their operation cause a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. "In the European Union, buildings consume 40 percent of all energy. So it's high time to rethink what good architecture means. The government should realize how important it is in the future to build energy-efficient buildings and support technologies in the construction industry that are environmentally friendly, " said Simona Kalvoda, Executive Director of the Czech Council for Green Buildings.
The series of the Rethink Architecture lectures is being organized by sustainable building specialists Karolína Dvořáková and Kateřina Eklová in cooperation with the Czech Green Building Council. “During those three lectures the well-known Czech architects Ondřej Chybík, Zdeněk Fránek and Projektil architects described how they work with sustainability in their projects. Other experts then presented specific environmentally friendly solutions that architects and architecture students can use in their projects,” said Karolína Dvořáková. “For autumn 2020, we are preparing other events on topics of Materials and People. The Circular economy or the use of construction waste will be crucial for the Materials event, and at the People event we will explore what buildings and cities have to meet to enable people to live healthily and sustainably,” added Kateřina Eklová.