Playing in the forest of eco-architecture

It was his participation in an "earth house" project in France during the early '80s that first turned Petr Suske on to the idea of ecological architecture. So it seems rather fitting that the Czech architect's latest "green" development has a direct French connection.

Suske's project, an ecological culinary center for training chefs and other cooking enthusiasts, set to go up in a forest close to Beroun as soon as the economic crisis mellows, has made headlines because of the involvement of the award-winning French chef, Marc Veyrat. Veyrat has agreed to endorse the project with his name and participate in its operation, bringing his renowned brand of organic, molecular gastronomy to Central Europe. But, quite possibly, it's the architecture of the project itself that deserves the most praise and attention. In addition to the training center, the plans also call for a first-class restaurant and uniquely designed hotel.

Taking the form of a stone "archetypal chapel in the middle of the woods," as Suske puts it, is the kitchen - truly the heart of the center. The restaurant, just off the kitchen, snakes out into the forest and is broken into different sections based on specific seasons. One of the summer sections, for instance, comprises "wooden cells," or the dining area, that are elevated above the forest floor within the trees. Another summer-section dining area is comprised of what Suske describes as small, lit "coves," built directly into the forest and its clearings. The winter section, by comparison, is a large wooden, glassed-in area, or "nest," to use another Suske term, giving diners there a direct and intimate view of the forest while they eat.

The hotel is also an intriguing work of art. In an effort to give lodgers a sense of coziness and privacy, some of the guest rooms will be made to resemble the burrows of small animals and will be literally embedded in the ground.

"It is the perfect profession," Suske says of his job. "You can play with the money of someone else, and you get to create your idea," he says. "I think there isn't any other profession with the same possibilities."

The idea of trying to fit his designs in with their natural surroundings is one of the marked characteristics of Suske's work. He and his team at SEA, which stands for Skupina ekologické architektury or "Ecological Architecture Group," have spent years trying to accurately define what ecological architecture means to them.

There were the obvious things - natural materials, low energy, vegetation use - "but, as time went on, I personally think the base of ecological architecture is somewhere on the other side," Suske says. "It is about the relationship between the people who use the architecture and the space. ... The most important [thing] is to react to the special situation of each building."

Suske cites, for example, his project "House in a Fur Coat," an experimental ecological family home Suske describes as being "the crystallic form of our approach to this type of architecture." Built around a wooden frame and characterized by an umbrella rooftop and exposed straw bails that are used as insulation, the project brought Suske's studio honorary mention in the prestigious Grand Prix national architecture awards hosted by the Society of Czech Architects and the Czech Chamber of Architects.

The path that led to this kind of national recognition began early on. Growing up with a father who was a professor of architecture, Suske was very close to the profession and knew from a young age that it was what he wanted to do.

After finishing his studies at the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Prague, Suske began his career at a studio which specialized in crematories, which was one of the few options available at the time.

Taking some time to focus on research, Suske spent four years abroad during the '80s, an experience that helped shape his future career path. He spent the first three years in Algeria, where he taught at the Faculty of Architecture before moving to Belgium for a year, where he conducted research on architecture in developing countries and began some discussions about ecological architecture.

It was during this period that Suske founded SEA, which in its early stages was merely a group of friends getting together to discuss ecological issues and challenging facing them and their various professions. It wasn't until 1992 that the group officially transformed into an ecological architecture studio. Today, SEA has a staff of eight, a mix of architects and engineers.

When beginning a new project, "we start with some mental discussion - ideas, philosophy and so on," Suske says.

Patrik Dolák, an architect with SEA for the past five years, says these pre-project discussions are among the many reasons he likes working with Suske.

"In the beginning, there is a lot of time for one's own creativity and searching for different ways to go," Dolák says.

Suske says discussions about finding a balance between architecture and ecology are "normal, standard" in his line of work. Still, he hopes to start a different kind of discussion someday.

"All the time, there is some compromise. ... My dream is to make something without compromise," he says. "I hope that, in the future, we will not talk about ecological architecture, because the quality will be a normal part of architecture. So we will speak only about good and bad architecture, as we did in the past."

Joann Plocková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com