Brno-based architecture studio knesl kynčl architekti has converted a former Jednota store dating from the 1970s into an upper-primary school for around 120 pupils. Located on Čebín’s village green, the school is designed to allow for future expansion and will also form part of a planned municipal energy-sharing scheme intended to increase local energy self-sufficiency.
A school at the centre of the village
The village of Čebín, home to around 2,000 people, lies approximately 15 kilometres northwest of Brno. The need to expand its school capacity arose from a shortage of places in neighbouring communities and across the wider Brno metropolitan area. Previously, pupils from Čebín attended the upper level of primary school in the nearby town of Drásov, where capacity had also become insufficient. The municipality therefore decided to provide additional school places within the village.
The school occupies a central position on the village green, close to the town hall, nursery school, lower-level primary school, community centre, health centre, church, post office, and pub. The concentration of these civic amenities around the green makes it a focus for community life, with the new school reinforcing its role at the centre of the village.
Adapting the existing structure
The school was created by converting the Jednota building, which had previously been purchased by the municipality. Reusing the existing structure provided an economical solution while retaining the school’s central village location. Preserving as much of the existing structure as possible was also a key aim of the project. The load-bearing structure of the first two floors was retained, extended, and adapted to accommodate its new function.
Compact vertical organisation
The limited site area led to a compact, vertical layout, with the three storeys organised around a central atrium. Classrooms, staff offices, and administrative spaces are arranged around this central volume, while the teaching spaces are equipped to support contemporary learning methods.
Alongside its classrooms and supporting facilities, the school contains a canteen and kitchen capable of preparing up to 500 meals a day for pupils and other municipal institutions.
A new clock on the main facade marks the school’s civic presence on the village green. Its prominent position on the approach into Čebín further reinforces the building’s relationship with the village centre.
Designed for future growth
During the design stage, the municipality acquired the adjacent property, allowing for a future extension that could increase the school’s capacity by approximately 80 percent. The staircase and lift have been positioned so that a new building can connect directly to the existing circulation core.
Durable envelope and shared energy
The building uses ceramic blocks for its vertical structure and cast-in-situ concrete for the horizontal structure. Its envelope incorporates an external thermal insulation composite system using mineral-wool boards in different thicknesses according to the facade construction. Thermally insulated aluminium profiles were used for the windows, while fire-rated aluminium systems were specified for doors and internal glazed partitions.
The facade is finished with nine-millimetre-thick extruded clinker strips in a light-grey Hellgrau finish, which are also used in the school’s communal interiors. The material was selected for its durability, low maintenance requirements, and long service life.
The school was designed as a low-energy building, with a specific heating demand of 28 kWh/(m²·year) and an average heat-transfer coefficient of 0.27 W/(m²·K). Heating is provided by air-to-water heat pumps, while the building received a Class C rating under the Czech Energy Performance Certificate (PENB) system.
As several of the surrounding public buildings are also municipally owned, the school is intended to form part of a planned energy-sharing system designed to increase energy self-sufficiency across the municipality.
