Building Shell of Association School in Chýně u Prahy Half Finished. Builders Struggled with Foundations in Former Sand Quarry Area

It looked like a building to be built on a green field, but its foundations told a different story: The new VIDA association primary school in Chýně u Prahy is going up on the site of a former sand quarry. Although the original quarry area was reclaimed for agricultural purposes, the subgrade does not stick together and is made of difficult-to-compact sandy soil. This, combined with the shallow underground water table, made it difficult for the builders to get the foundations done. The school for 810 pupils is being built by an association of the construction companies PKS stavby and Metrostav DIZ for the Chýně – Hostivice association of municipalities. Two of the three floors of the monolithic structure have been completed so far.

“The foundations stand fully on piles and are completely original. We had to consult with a geologist and a structural engineer about almost every square metre and adapt the foundation joints and reinforcement of the foundation slab to suit the conditions identified. In addition, the work was complicated by underground water, shallow sewer lines and also the demanding waterproofing technology,” said Jaromír Hotovec, chief construction manager at Metrostav DIZ. “I’m glad that we have literally dug ourselves out of the worst and the construction work was only slightly delayed. In the coming weeks, I believe we will be able to catch up and successfully close the building envelope before winter.”

“We are proud to have overcome the challenging conditions for the foundations under the building and the subsequent nesting of sand martins in sand from the excavation work. Despite the slight delay, we believe that the school will be completed in time for the next school year 2025/2026 and the first pupils will enter it on 1 September 2025,” said Anna Chvojková, Mayor of Chýně and Chairwoman of the Chýně-Hostivice Association, the investor behind the construction project.

The VIDA project stands out thanks to its green technologies and unusually large sports facility. The school building will be heated in cold periods and cooled in hot periods by a cascade of eight heat pumps with a ground collector built under the football pitch. Other sustainable development features include rooftop photovoltaics, underfloor heating, façade insulation with an insulation thicknesses of up to 36 cm, exterior blinds, and a set of robust storage tanks that can be used to store rainwater for use in the building’s sanitary facilities. The sports complex will include a football pitch with an athletics track, tennis courts and a multifunctional pitch. The indoor athletics tunnel, which is part of the main building, is unique.

The large three-storey building with an area of 7,481 sqm is surrounded by concrete retaining walls to compensate for the sloping terrain. From an architectural viewpoint, it impresses not only with its ceramic façade cladding and generous glazed areas, but also with its green roof containing relaxation zones.

The construction contractors PKS stavby and Metrostav DIZ should complete the building shell in the form of a reinforced concrete monolithic structure at the end of October. “The completion of the building shell and the installation of the doors and windows before the end of the year is a crucial moment in our schedule. This is the only way we will be able to continue to work on the building’s interior during the winter months,” said Martin Voráč, project manager at PKS stavby.  At present, they are already bricking up the partitions on the first floor and starting to put the installations in. Earthworks for the collectors under the future football pitch have also started.

Construction of the VIDA school in Chýně u Prahy began in October 2023 and should be completed before the start of the 2025/2026 school year. The investor behind the project is the Chýně – Hostivice association of municipalities. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, the Modernisation Fund, the Town of Chýně, the Town of Hostivice and the Central Bohemia Region are contributing to the costs of almost CZK 1 bn. The school is being built by an association of construction contractors comprising PKS stavby and Metrostav DIZ to an architectural design by ov architekti.

Contact details

Radim Mana
Metrostav Group Spokesman
Metrostav a.s. Koželužská 2450/4 180 00 Prague 8
T 266 019 715, M 601 110 376
radim.mana@metrostav.cz, www.metrostav.cz