Raymond Johnston of Expats.cz writes:

With the Modřanský Cukrovar development, Skanska is creating a unique city district focused on sustainability, innovation and a neighborly vibe. People these days are looking at more than just the number of square meters when they make a long-term investment into buying a flat. Environmental sustainability and a strong local community are now equally important factors.

Near the waterfront in the southern section of Prague, Skanska is creating a unique city district focused on sustainability, innovation, and good neighborly relations. The sale of apartments in the project, which has already started, is limited to only one apartment per owner.

“With this step, Skanska, as a responsible developer, seeks to support the purpose for which Modřanský cukrovar is being created – building communities, neighborhoods, and cohesion of people with nature,” Lukáš Maděra, sales and customer care director of Skanska Reality, said.

Modřanský cukrovar aspires to a high degree of BREEAM certification. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is an international certification method for the sustainability of buildings. It looks at not only construction but the whole life cycle of the building.

Almost all of the project’s 800 flats will have elements of the blue-green infrastructure. These will help the environment by including nature in the building process. Rainwater management, biodiversity, sustainable energy, improved air quality, and reduced heat stress are all factors.

So far, Skanska has introduced new technologies in test mode in individual buildings with just dozens of flats. This is the first time these technologies will be used in a project with several stages and hundreds of apartments. For the developer, this project is a flagship at the European level, and it can serve as inspiration for its activities in other countries.

The project will use advanced technologies that not only have less impact on the environment but also save money in the long run by reducing the usage of water and other resources. Inhabitants of the Modřanský cukrovar district will save up to 47 percent of drinking water thanks to gray, rain, and utility water.

Toilets will be flushed with gray water, for example. This is water from baths, showers, and bathroom faucets that has been drained into a technical room in the basement. It is then purified by a four-chamber system and circulated into toilet tanks.

View from the terrace of a Modřanský cukrovar flat.

Rainwater will also be captured and used for greenery or allowed to evaporate so it can improve the local air quality. Hundreds of solitary trees, orchards, or meadows throughout the area will also have the potential to absorb up to 15 tons of carbon per year. The meadows will also encourage biodiversity with homes for birds and insects.

Modřanský cukrovar will also use green roofs as part of its sustainability approach. On an area of 14,000 square meters, maintenance-free green roofs with low vegetation will be established, as well as intensive roofs with higher water retention efficiency and, newly, also combined green roofs where solar panels are placed on vegetation.

Read more: Prague’s first blue-green district combines modern design, sustainability, and community