Zbuzany – New Quarter of Jindřichův Hradec

Three green axes converge at Zbuzany Square, connecting the existing residential district, the center, the train station, and the surrounding landscape. A calm and safe residential neighborhood with a diverse typology of houses, high-quality public spaces, and semi-public courtyards becomes an ideal place for a varied mix of residents. The decision not to relocate the utility lines unlocked the possibility of a higher-quality solution as well as simple phasing. The district makes use of green areas along the railway, serves as a recreational gateway into the landscape for the inhabitants of Jindřichův Hradec, and demonstrates that the periphery can indeed be truly beneficial.

The proposal presents a clear and confident concept for a new district, based on three lines connecting the city, the railway, and the landscape. These lines define the logic of movement, delineate spaces for public life, and create a legible structure. The jury appreciated the natural scale of the design, with a clear hierarchy of streets, squares, and semi-public courtyards. The composition is strong yet not rigid – it allows for transformation as well as gradual development. The treatment of subtle height differences feels natural and, in combination with landscape elements, creates a cohesive whole that ties well into the character of Jindřichův Hradec. The traffic solution feels calm, and the jury valued the intention to address parking largely on the surface, taking into account the reduction of investment costs. What remains to be further refined is the exact distribution of parking spaces within the area, where it is recommended to place more spaces along the streets at the expense of the proposed parking lots. The proposal combines functional logic with delicacy of detail and stands as a credible foundation for a genuine urban district.

The project for the new Zbuzany city district envisions a modern suburb of Jindřichův Hradec, becoming a natural and vibrant place to live. The design emphasizes a people-centered city, where short distances are intertwined with community life and rich civic amenities. The new district is organically integrated into the landscape and, thanks to blue-green infrastructure, becomes resilient to climate change, offering its residents a sustainable and harmonious future.

The design presents a comprehensive, systematically conceived concept of a city of short distances, with an emphasis on sustainability and blue-green infrastructure. The jury appreciated the balanced mix of functions, the clear transportation logic, and the appropriate scale of development. The proposal demonstrates a thoughtful integration of different layers – housing, public space, and infrastructure – including a clearly formulated phasing strategy and land management approach. The terrain solution feels natural and is complemented by a system of retention elements and landscape strips that unify the neighborhood. What remains to be further developed is the solution for stationary traffic, which is currently only schematic and overly reliant on costly underground parking. Overall, the project appears balanced and viable; criticism was directed at the high building density and the small spacing between structures in the central area.

From a building form perspective, we have narrowed down the many typologies of phase-one to a distinct housing lot measuring 5.4m x 30m. This type offers flexibility, allowing a variety of options that respond to the site and user constraints and adapt for unpredictable futures. Its main features are: 1) an enfilade organization punctuated by patio open spaces for intimate living, and 2) a dual orientation, addressing both the front street and the meadow landscape at the rear, with functions such as diurnal living spaces, work-from-home, retail, and commercial uses. When assembled into blocks, the edge-lots adjacent to the public spaces are fully dedicated to retail and commercial programs opening along the long side (30m). The blocks take on the character of ‘islands’, forming a veritable archipelago surrounded by generous open spaces.

The proposal introduces a strong conceptual idea based on a single key structure – a street line that organizes the entire territory. This framework allows for diverse modes of development and can evolve over time according to the needs of the city. The jury appreciated the openness of the approach, the ability to treat the landscape as an equal component of the urban environment, and the effort to pursue an environmentally sensitive solution. At the same time, however, the proposal appears overly abstract. It lacks sufficiently clear spatial articulation and a concrete form of urban environment. Public spaces remain at the conceptual level, without indication of a scale that could be translated into real planning practice. The terrain and landscape design is imaginative, but at times landscape gestures prevail over the urban structure. Parking and traffic solutions appear more illustrative than part of a functional system. The proposal is inspiring in its approach to the transformation of the site, yet its openness at the conceptual level and lack of detail at the parcel scale are also its weaknesses, making it difficult to realize without fundamental changes.

Zbuzany we perceive as one of the petals of the Rosenberg Rose of Hradec. A quarter, oriented towards the city and its views, but a self-sufficient part. A quarter on the border of a pond landscape with courts. A quarter organized by the inner courts of vibrant community life. Views define the core and distribute the servicing of the quarter. The parterre around the park of views culminates in a cultural facility. The road through quarter gradually leads to the ponds and to the open countryside via the railway. The individual blocks are defined by a public space that defines them parametrically and gives possibilities of adaptability to the needs of the city. Thus, for each block - the main public space directs the concentration of activities, the masses are arranged to allow views of the city, define the streets and the connections with its inner community courtyards - several layout options are created respecting these rules. The northern spur, which is surrounded by nearby countryside, requires a different approach to development. Here, the community is linked by a courtyard, meeting places and farming opportunities. The power line area can be completed in the long term or after its rezoning. The PLACES & SPACES are thus guided by the public realm and the needs of neighborhood communities. CARE & SERVICE provide the vibrancy of life not only for people, but also for natural processes in the spirit of the city of short distances. TIME & PHAZING in the quarter are set so that the plan is always a whole for its community and uses. For everything the key is self-sufficiency, adaptability, diversity, accessibility and sustainability with care.

The proposal stands out for its precise and technically well-executed handling of street scale and terrain elevation. The jury appreciated the detailed design of street profiles and the clear definition of boundaries between public, semi-public, and private spaces. The overall structure is legible and functional, and the traffic system is realistic. However, the proposal remains rather descriptive – it does not bring a stronger urban gesture or an atmosphere that would define the identity of the place. In some parts, the spatial arrangement of the blocks is not entirely clear – both the layout and the volumetric composition remain unresolved, which makes it difficult to grasp the character and scale of the development.

The proposal for a new, vibrant, and functional district of the Jindřichův Hradec suburb – Zbuzany – builds on the urban structure of the neighboring Pražské předměstí district. The orthogonal network of adjoining street spaces is respected, connected, and extended. The new district consists of two parts: a larger one directly adjoining the existing residential development, and a smaller one to the west, situated in the highest part of the area near Novodvorská Street. The overall urban design responds to the context of the surrounding development, the morphology of the terrain, and natural connections, bringing a clear vision while respecting the character of the place. The urban concept proposes a sustainable and functional environment for living and community life, with opportunities for amenities, services, and shops on the ground floor. An integral part of the concept is the creation of an urbanized and landscape framework with a variety of public and semi-public spaces of both urban and natural character, organized with a clear hierarchy of use and importance, as well as a new system of transport, pedestrian, and cycling routes.

The proposal works with a classic orthogonal grid and logically follows the structure of the neighboring districts. It is clear, easily legible, and realistically feasible. A disadvantage of the design is the weaker integration of the street network with the undulating terrain, which makes the placement of individual houses more complex, as well as the green belts between blocks, which act as a transition between the city and the landscape. The proposal has a clear order but a less distinctive expression. The public spaces appear correct but not inspiring. Parking and technical infrastructure are addressed efficiently, yet the dominance of functional logic over spaces for everyday life makes the design rather conventional. Nevertheless, it is a reliable and balanced proposal that could serve as a basis for practical implementation.