In early September, Building D was inaugurated, which will offer parking spaces for company cars owned by HRDLIČKA Holding as well as rental apartments for employees or applicants from outside the company.
The construction of each new building is preceded by a long period of design and subsequent implementation. Although we are specialists in many phases of the construction life cycle, we also faced many challenges with Building D that we had not anticipated. However, in early September 2024, we formally wished "D" many happy tenants and smooth operations, also with the participation of Pastor P. Jan Kotas.
The owner of the company, Ing. Martin Hrdlička said: "As a family, we invest not only in production means and development, but also in real estate. We primarily invest in real estate, where our business takes place. It is good that we can provide good facilities for production and business activities, as well as a good working environment for employees. Last but not least, it contributes to the prestige of the entire company. We are investing not only in the premises in Prague - Stodůlky, but also elsewhere in the Czech Republic, for example in Česká Lípa, Strakonice, Klatovy and Brno."
Petr Hlaváček, the property manager, dealt with the biggest challenges throughout the construction period. He explained how the whole process was carried out in a short interview.
"The idea to complete another building on the site of the existing houses was born sometime in 2006/2007 in the mind of Ing. Martin Hrdlicka, who wanted to have the company's premises completed according to his ideas. He let Ing. arch. Jan Fahrner to create a study of a house that would be connected to building C. The design corresponded materially with the style of the other buildings on the site, i.e. green mansards, a three-storey building, etc. Around 2009, a study of an all-glass building was also created, which also remained only on paper. Mr. Hrdlička subsequently became acquainted with Ing. arch. Martin Řehák (from the Architectural Studio Arkáda spol. s r.o.). Therefore, we asked him to make a study of how he would imagine the completion of the complex and this new building. Mr. Architect brought a very interesting sketch, which is very similar to what is currently being completed. So you could say that from the first idea to the completion everything took 18 years."
"Ing. arch Řehák was given such a commission: to design an apartment building with some non-residential space and large underground garages. Ideally with interesting and modern elements. To fit in with the concept of the existing buildings. The rest was left to his imagination. During the design work, we of course commented and modified the layout."
"The construction was most affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the period afterwards. It actually delayed the actual construction by a year. During the coronavirus pandemic, people started investing in their buildings and this mass building caused, in my opinion, a sharp increase in the price of materials at an incredible rate. So it was decided to wait. Finally, construction started in mid-2022, when theoretically prices should have dropped to some better level. Prices did fall, but not as much as we would have liked. The war in Ukraine, and especially the high inflation rate in the following years, had an impact, so costs simply rose anyway."
"Probably the biggest challenge was agreeing on some common path with the general contractor and the investor's technical supervisor. Finding a common compromise.
As for relaxing during the construction: honestly I was more involved in the construction than I wanted to be. I didn't have as much time afterwards to solve problems at other sites. I apologise to them. I will try to make amends now. "
"We have officially closed a stage. Now we have another stage - finding tenants and dealing with the operation itself. The building itself is very complex, there is a lot of modern technology in it so that it gives us the data we need. The operation of this building will need to be standardised, especially in the beginning, so that everything runs as it should and the tenants and the landlord are happy.
And, of course, I will focus on the other buildings that we have under property management. We have some photovoltaic panel installations coming up in Strakonice, Brno, and on Building D. We are also going to reconstruct Villa Vlasta in Klatovy. We will definitely not be bored with our colleagues from the Property Administration."
"It is a reinforced concrete wall system, the so-called monolith. As such, the house is very well equipped, e.g. with underfloor heating, heat pump, air recovery, air conditioning units and is well insulated (it has triple glazing, of course). Thanks to this, it falls into category B in the PENB, which is the energy performance certificate of the building. We expect that such a very efficient building will bring savings on energy bills. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen with appliances and built-in custom-made wardrobes. I believe the tenants will have a good and comfortable living experience."
As the interview shows, recent years have been challenging in Stodůlky. The construction of Building D has affected not only the developers themselves but also the employees of the company who are directly adjacent to the offices. We can all agree that we are glad for the successful completion of the project. Thanks also go to the implementation company VISTORIA CZ a.s.
Lucie Kmochová and Petr Hlaváček
