Founded by brothers Armin and Alexander in 2005, Pedevilla Architects gradually managed to establish themselves on the international stage and even scooped up several major architectural prizes in the process. The following interview gives insight into their unique design process, as well as the historical and cultural context of South Tyrol, arguably the driver behind the consistently high quality local architecture and building crafts.

In the hands of mayor Jan Vitula and architect Pavel Jura, the South-Bohemian town of Židlochovice seems to be thriving lately. One recent fruit of this collaboration was the new community center right next to the town hall, which replaced three decrepit private houses. The Center is organized around a series of inner courtyards and passages. Flanking the south side of the main courtyard is the medium-sized multipurpose social event space, opposite the open barn structure for wedding receptions and other celebrations. A short bridge links the Center to the town hall. This practical connection meant that several town hall offices found their way into the Center's upper floor. The town hall's growing office space requirements could be seen as a byproduct of all the construction activity evident elsewhere around town. Židlochovice already finished its new train station, revitalized the bus station, opened a new public park and built a stormwater wetland. Next in line, a sustainable residential neighborhood and a sponge park along the Svratka riverfront. Clearly, keeping an eye on Židlochovice in the next few years is a good idea.

As I start writing this text, personal memories come to my mind once again. Eleven years ago I joined a group of friends, all architecture students, on an extraordinary summer trip. From Salzburg we set out on foot, planning to reach Venice to attend the architectural biennial. I was strong, and negotiating alpine ranges was not much of a challenge for me. Walking gives one ample time to experience each place and to take in things that would otherwise go unnoticed. The magnificent scale of the mountain scenery and the obviously high standard of local architecture and building crafts certainly left their mark on me. But there was something else, too...

Is the reconsideration of the contemporary approach to recreational landscapes actually necessary? Or is there something more hidden behind this reasoning? Maybe our current demands on landscape and expectations of inhabitability reflect a new kind of complex sustainability—economic and environmental. However, the process of searching for this sustainability reveals potential interpretations of our landscapes' different characters and uses. When considering the establishment of microregion identities and economic networks, a synergy of solutions becomes essential.

To date there hasn’t been a comprehensive set of rules, in Prague or in other Czech cities, governing the way developers should pay off the municipality for increasing their real estate value through zoning changes. That’s why the Prague City Hall is currently working on the first “Methodology for investor contributions - recommended contributions attached to zoning changes”. Lead author Filip Foglar explains the key principles of the tool in the following interview.