This study was developed as a follow-up to the studies “Concept Study of the Urban Development of the Modernist Structure of Písnice—Libušská,” “Písnice Square—Concept Study,” and “Písnice Housing Estate—Center,” which were prepared by the Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners studio in 2018, 2019, and January 2020, respectively.

The study represents the next step toward implementing the ideas formulated for the northern part of the housing estate. The proposed buildings on Výletní Street are intended for residential use; they contribute to the diversification of the housing estate’s housing stock and, thereby, to a greater social mix. From an urban planning perspective, the design creates a more natural transition between the prefabricated apartment buildings and the small-scale, village-like development, while enhancing the quality of public space with new pedestrian paths, small seating areas, and tree-lined avenues. The project consists of detached single-family homes (O-1, O-2, and O-3) and apartment buildings (O-4 and O-5).

The project site is located on the very northern edge of the Písnice housing estate. It is a parcel that forms a dividing line between the prefabricated housing estate and the original, village-style development of Libuše. The narrow, trapezoidal-shaped building lot is currently unused and neglected. Due to the lack of infrastructure on the adjacent city-owned land, haphazard access roads, sidewalks, and other features have been constructed without a clear concept or connectivity, even crossing the land owned by CIB. In the western, wider part of the lot, there is a transformer station and an area used for trash containers.

The proposed buildings will add a new scale to the existing development. This will create a gradual height gradient between the six-story prefabricated apartment buildings and the low-rise single-family homes. In contrast to the housing estate’s long, monotonous, and impenetrable slab buildings, we propose breaking up the proposed mass into smaller units that preserve the area’s existing permeability and enrich the public space with diverse nooks and crannies. The project consists of three detached single-family homes and an apartment building. Both typologies are situated within “tower” volumes that utilize the same design elements; they thus function as a single unit while also responding to the context of the lot. The individual tower volumes are located at the narrow tip of the lot and complement the existing development of standalone buildings. They respect and enhance the existing access roads.

The apartment building is situated in the wider part of the lot, overlooking the open space of the playground. It takes advantage of the elevation difference between Výletní and U Líhní streets, placing the individual “tower” volumes on a plinth used for garages and building entrances. The development is divided into two phases. The implementation of Phase 2 is contingent upon the relocation of the existing transformer station. The common areas of the apartment building consist of simple structures in the form of unheated balconies, which provide protection from rain and wind during the winter but can be opened up in the summer to serve as outdoor communal spaces. The roof of the parking podium serves as terraces for the apartments located on the ground floor of the towers.