Low-Energy House Near Zlín

Designing a single-family home in a bird sanctuary and floodplain requires more than just an architect’s skill. This project for a single-family home near Zlín was a real challenge for me as a designer. The goal was to create modern, passive-standard housing on a plot that presented one technical obstacle after another. Designing buildings in Zlín and the surrounding area often involves specific local conditions, but here almost everything came together—from protected zones to unexpected infrastructure issues.

The main challenge was not the house’s appearance, but its “integration” into the legislative and technical framework. The plot is located in a bird protection area, which required specific measures for the glazed surfaces. At the same time, we had to respect the protection zone of the overhead power lines and the strict requirements of its operator.

The biggest complication, however, arose with the sewer system—although a municipal sewer line physically exists near the property, legislative deficiencies made connection impossible. I had to quickly redesign the project into an autonomous solution with its own wastewater treatment plant. Since the house is located in a flood zone, I had the Q100 water level determined, and we positioned the first above-ground floor well above this level to ensure the absolute safety of the structure.

Despite the extreme engineering challenges, the entire process—from the first sketch on paper to the final building permit—was completed in a record six months. The house is designed as a technologically self-sufficient unit: it features its own well, solar panels, a self-contained ventilation system with heat recovery, and independent wastewater management. This custom home project demonstrates that, with the right technical approach, even a challenging plot of land can be transformed into a safe and energy-efficient place to live.