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Pavilion Y of the Olomouc University Hospital: The first nearly zero-energy clinic in Czechia

Public nZEB buildings case study
Building type
Health/Hospitals Public
Project type
New Construction
Country
Czechia

New building of II. Internal Clinic of Gastroenterology and Geriatrics at the Olomouc University Hospital / © photograf Aleš Ležatka Brno

Olomouc University Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in the Czech Republic. It belongs to a network of nine university hospitals managed by the Czech Ministry of Health.

Pavilion Y, a new six-storey building with a 100-bed capacity that was completed in 2018, was designed with innovative features to achieve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The building, which hosts the II. Internal Clinic of Gastroenterology and Geriatrics at the Olomouc University Hospital, features an intensive care unit with seven boxes, and rooms for disabled and handicapped patients, in a U-shaped building that covers an area of 8,000 square metres. The construction of this new building was an initiative of the Olomouc University Hospital in Olomouc, Czechia.

How was this building procured?

The Olomouc University Hospital commissioned the construction of the new facility. The new building was designed by Adam Rujbr Architects, and the contractor was OHLA ŽS.

 

The University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine of Palacky University in Olomouc, as a public body adopted a transparent and competitive tendering process to select a contractor for the project. The estimated value of the contract was CZK 298,000,000 excluding VAT (around EUR 11,788,000).

 

The tender required the bidder to submit a detailed proposal that met certain criteria. As part of the evaluation, in addition to the amount of the offer price, the “ecological friendliness of materials” was evaluated with a weight of 5%, as defined in the tender documentation.

 

What are the key nZEB features?

The building’s design incorporates several features that promote energy efficiency and sustainability:

  • The building is made of prefabricated concrete panels that are insulated with Rockwool mineral wool;
  • The roof has a green cover that enhances the building’s insulation, reduces the urban heat island effect, and improves air quality through rainwater retention;
  • The windows are double-glazed to reduce heat loss;
  • The building’s HVAC system incorporates cooled ceiling technology (with no air flow), which was used for the first time in Special plasterboards with an admixture if graphite had to be used in suspended ceilings in order to facilitate thermal conductivity of the cooling system;
  • The building’s lighting system uses energy-efficient LED lights;
  • The floor plan of the building, its orientation, its white façade, and the specially slanted treatment of the cladding and façade of most windows allow daylight to penetrate into all public spaces, contributing to maximise the use of daylight;

 

Thanks to these measures, the energy performance of Pavilion Y is ten times lower than that of the hospital premises to which it is connected by a corridor.

 

Did the project have an impact on skills?

The construction of Pavilion Y at the Olomouc University Hospital provided an opportunity for the construction industry to develop new skills and knowledge in sustainable building practices. The project required the contractor to comply with stringent energy performance standards and implement sustainable design features. This requirement encouraged the contractor to adopt new construction techniques and technologies that promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The project also enabled the construction industry to build capacity in the design and construction of nZEBs. Nurses and doctors also intervened in the design of the building, where they offered inputs on spatial distribution and practical improvements of the building through a participatory process that shaped the project.

 

Keywords: Nearly Zero-Energy Building (nZEB), Skills Development, Healthcare, Hospital, Participatory Design, New Construction, Czech Republic.

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