Benice Village / ORCO Property Group / Prague

Maximising profit and sustainability in a challenging market

Benice village is a residential masterplan as part of a 28 hectare site on the outskirts of Prague, Czech Republic. The project consists of an 830 unit residential masterplan with associated community schools, recreation centres and shops and an extensive public realm including a ‘bio corridor’.

The design is driven by a low density, high quality housing brief with its own network of roads and supporting public realm to create a true rural ‘village’ community with a central focal point, but also incorporating a modern contemporary living feel. Benice Village is a multi-phase project.

The challenge was to demonstrate a sustainable solution incorporating an appropriate renewable energy strategy together with an energy efficient design, all within a commercial viability framework. To accomplish these objectives, an initial outline master plan needed to be converted into a deliverable, viable scheme, on a phase by phase basis, with the right commercial controls over design development and relationships between cost and value, infrastructure provision and contractor procurement and management.

Creating solutions

• EC Harris have provided a critical review of design and cost parameters which were established on phase 1 of this project
  
• The client was also assisted with a view to implementing an optimisation strategy for the remaining part of Phase 1, and to value engineer the design and capture the ‘lessons learned’ in Phase 1 to be applied in Phase 2
  
• EC Harris provided strategic advice on how the client’s sustainability aspirations might be met with reference to our experiences in the United Kingdom as part of the drive towards ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ compliance.

Adding value

• The establishment of cost benchmarks for the Phase 2 homes, at a lower percentage than Phase 1, by robustly interrogating the approach to house layouts, envelope design, amenities provisions and external works solutions
  
• EC Harris brought valuable sector knowledge and expertise to the project to drive future master plan phase optimisation in terms of housing densities and configurations
  
• Combined heat and power energy strategies were developed
  
• A design review was undertaken prior to a detailed permit application for Phase 2, identifying all areas for improvement to maximise margin potential.

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