UBM Development Czechia celebrated 30 years since its establishment in the Czech Republic last year. In 2023, it sold a total of 71 apartments, including 34 in the Astrid Garden residential project and 37 in the Arcus City complex, which also includes the modern multi-storey Timber Prague wooden buildings. The company has completed the rough construction of all three currently under construction projects with BREEAM environmental certification. Following the example of its parent company UBM Development AG, which plans to become the largest developer of timber buildings in Europe, the Czech branch aims to contribute to the greater development of eco-friendly residential timber buildings in the country. In cooperation with Prodesi/Domesi, it therefore established the Platform for Sustainable Wood Construction last year and is thus also helping to modernise Czech laws in this area of construction.
“We celebrated our 30th anniversary on the Czech market last year mainly by working on our domestic and international projects, which are carried out for the entire Group by the design department based in Prague. Last year, we approved 150 apartments in the Czech Republic, three projects reached rough construction and we started construction of the first wooden apartment buildings in Prague,” says Josef Wiedermann, Managing Director of UBM Development Czechia, and adds: “In line with the parent company’s plans, we are focusing on the residential and office segment. Therefore, we have decided to sell assets in the Czech Republic that do not fall into these two segments. In the residential segment, we are continuing with the preparation of the Na Plzeňce project. We will build more than 150 apartments and several commercial units on a former brownfield site in Prague’s Smíchov district. We expect to obtain a zoning permit this year. We are also looking for other interesting acquisitions.”
Last June, UBM Development Czechia completed the rough construction of the Astrid Garden project in Prague 7 – Holešovice with 138 apartments in layouts from 1 + kk to 4 + kk with living areas from 30 to 107 m². Work is progressing rapidly. All units have been plastered and the bathrooms are now being installed. In keeping with the name, the complex of seven new buildings and one renovated original building from the early 20th century incorporates green spaces bringing benefits to both residents and the environment. In addition to private gardens and roof terraces, there will be a lushly planted enclosed courtyard where planters for trees and foliage are already installed. The project will have a number of sustainable solutions, such as electricity recovery in the elevators of the buildings or irrigation using rainwater from storage tanks. Astrid Garden is scheduled for completion in the second half of this year.
The company has also made significant progress with the construction of its largest residential complex, Arcus City, on the border of Prague’s Stodůlky and Řeporyje districts, which will also include a small square with a relaxation area and shops. A total of 270 apartments and several commercial spaces will be built here. Buildings A to F, which together comprise 150 units, have been approved and sold out. Work is currently underway on the second phase with 63 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 39 sq m to 101 sq m. The building is scheduled for completion in the 3rd quarter of this year.
Last year, UBM also started construction of the Timber Praha project, the first multi-storey wooden apartment buildings in Prague, within the Arcus City complex. In total, the four apartment buildings with three and four floors include 62 units with layouts from 1 + kk to 4 + kk and sizes from 39 to 110 m2. Only seven months after the start of construction, Timber Praha has reached the milestone of gross construction. Modern timber buildings, in addition to the use of innovative prefabrication technology, bring a significant reduction in the construction time compared to concrete construction. In this case, it was about a third. The building will be approved in the second half of this year. The new buildings in the most energy-efficient category A have a number of environmental features such as geothermal boreholes, ground-to-water heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot water, photovoltaic panels on green roofs, charging stations for electric vehicles, exterior blinds, etc. A Smart Home system will be installed as part of the state-of-the-art technology. Last year, the company sold 16 residential units in the Timber Prague project.
Shift of the Czech standard towards modern environmentally friendly construction
In the context of the greater spread of environmentally friendly construction in the Czech Republic, UBM has been actively involved in the issue of existing domestic regulations. “In the Czech Republic, the greater development of wooden buildings has so far been hampered by legislation that did not allow buildings to be built higher than four storeys, i.e. 12 metres fire height. Out of a jointly declared need to change the legislative restrictions, last spring, together with Prodesi/Domesi, an architectural and construction company with a focus on timber buildings, we established the professional Platform for Sustainable Construction from Wood. The Platform is gradually being joined by other companies that are committed to environmentally friendly construction. In December last year, a joint statement by the Fire Brigade, the CCA and the UCEEB was published in the Bulletin of the Office for Technical Standardisation, Metrology and State Testing, which allows for the planning of buildings over 12 metres in an engineered manner. Work is still underway on the part of the state administration and the authorized institutions with which our Platform cooperates on individual tasks and solutions that should lead to a final change in legislation,” explains Josef Wiedermann.
