This international invited competition led to the selection of 10 architectural practices for a prestigious £400m residential and lifestyle development outside Prague.
The competition was organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants on behalf of Arendon Development Company, a Czech-based property developer.
In total, 24 international practices were shortlisted for the competition, from a long list of over 100. The long-list focused on northern European practices in an arc from Iceland to the Benelux countries, responding to Arendon’s interest in seeking out emerging, as well as more established firms.
The site comprises 140 hectares of existing hunting estate close to the D1 Prague-Brno motorway and is located approximately 20km south-east of the centre of Prague within the commune of Popiviky.
The practices will be responsible for the design of various residential typologies including terrace and semi-detached townhouses, apartments and villas. The residences’ style will be contemporary and respond to the form, layout and vernacular of surrounding Czech villages. The design will incorporate passive design techniques, energy efficient systems and low carbon design.
Robert Davies, CEO of Arendon Development Company, said:
’We wanted to tap into Malcolm Reading Consultants unparalleled knowledge of the diverse range of practices working in Europe and do this properly. Malcolm’s team has a great process and was sensitive to our need to establish a balance between talent and experience.‘