REKINDLING ŠUMAVA

This diploma work should focus on cultural rehabilitation of rural settlements through traditional crafts and utilization of local resources. How these could improve the competitiveness of the village towards cities, decrease the rural to urban migration and strenghten local identity.

My architectural response to this situation is Bohemia-Werke, a resurrection of a long lost factory in the valley of river Losenice 2km from Kašperské Hory. It is a seed that once planted will reignite the use of wood architecture and crafts related to it. It is a compound of buildings built on the ruins of the old factory, keeping some of the characteristic elements of the decaying buildings and reusing the crumbling remains. At the heart of the building is a sawmill, with both natural and fast drying facility, and a large open hall for wood processing machinery, enabling the production of cheap wood construction elements. Attached is a row of five wood workshops which can be used by newly founded companies or individuals who do not yet the capital required to equip their own workshop. Here they could start their business without large investments, taking wood directly from the mill and using the heavy machinery. Both machine manufactured and hand crafted products end up in a storage-showroom located in a wooden barn, which is the only remaining wooden building of the original compound. Next to the large production building is a wood log cabin with a small pub, office, showers, toilets and bedrooms on the second floor (1st upper floor) for workers and apprentices who have travelled from further away.