BÚDA - community center

The civic association MYesto from Žiar nad Hronom approached us with a task - to sustainably reconstruct the former ice cream parlor and create a base for activities of the eco-center. The activists focus on clothing swaps, recycling/upcycling of clothing, and raising awareness in the field of ecology. In BĹJDE, lectures, book readings, concerts are organized, and at the same time, the space also serves as a workshop for sewing.
During the reconstruction, the original facade containing asbestos was removed. The steel frame and roof remained. For ideological - ecological reasons, we preserved this original structure. We built new walls around it and aligned with the original roof overhang, thereby increasing the internal space. The original structure remains a part of the interior. The solitaire of the proposed block has a new homogeneous wooden facade, which covers windows and doors and serves as a trellis for climbing plants. The architecture anticipates transformation over time - the acacia wood on the facade will gradually gray through oxidation and be covered with greenery.
The construction is assembled from prefabricated plywood modules. The modules were designed for manual assembly without heavy machinery. The facade has a double skin - the inner part consists of stacked modules, which are covered with a pre-faced facade. The modules have varied characteristics: pine walls with thermal insulation, non-opening windows with insulating double glazing, ventilation modules, and specially designed doors. A trio of double-wing doors on the front facade creates the main connection with the exterior. The doors can be opened fully or just their upper part, which creates a counter and leaves the possibility for a future buffet. The rear wall was created from waste materials - the waterproof steel structure is covered with polycarbonate on both sides. Under the roof, a storage space accessible from the exterior has been created, which serves as a public closet for permanent clothing swaps for the city's residents.
The community center Búda aims to attract and activate a wide audience on environmental and social issues, which is also communicated through architecture based on low-tech principles.