Going green all the way

In the days of residential real estate stagnation, a unique project in the Prague 10 quarter of Malešice aims to buck the trend by catering to greenery lovers. Those who want to live near the city center but feel like they're in the countryside may find a place to call home at the Malešice apartments project - all for the price of a suburban apartment.

The project's unique concept employs a philosophy where greenery is the main component, not just a decoration. Cascading vines complete with a self-irrigation system will be planted on the building facades, and all of the rooftops and terraces will be covered with lush gardens. A professional gardener will maintain the green spaces and cooperate with residents, who can also participate in the preservation of the gardens.

According to the creator of the greenery concept for the project, Jiří Grulich, greenery in residential buildings is usually regarded as a "necessary evil," but he says the Malešice apartments project realizes "fully functional greenery used as a primary aspect of the construction itself."

Developer SIDI Prague will break ground on the first stage of the multifunctional Malešice apartments project at the end of February. The complex is divided into residential homes and towers. Two-hundred ninety apartments will be built in the first stage, covering 24,772 square meters, plus 3,401 meters of commercial premises. The prices will start at 35,000 Kč per square meter, VAT excluded.

Grulich says residents will have scenic views to look forward to all year round.

 "Given the balance between deciduous and evergreen trees and ornamental grass that we used, as well as the variability of shape and colors, the gardens will even be enhanced by the blanket of snow," he said.

SIDI Prague Director Martin Louda is confident his project is exceptional enough to sell out while other Prague residential projects remain vacant.

"Our project is well prepared and has good timing," Louda said. "We have not spent much money on its promotion. We do not even have any real estate agency. We are selling it ourselves, and with only four banners throughout Prague, we managed to sell some 60 units out of the 290 since Nov. 15, 2010."

Louda believes the location is ideal as an alternative to what he sees as overpriced projects in the city center. He says the Malešice apartments will attract people with a good combination of fair prices, uniqueness and quality.

Besides the aesthetics of the gardens, the green concept has some practical advantages as well. The project will include a well that will capture and retain rainwater that will evaporate and keep the gardens moist during the summer months. By increasing the level of negative ions, the moisture will have beneficial effects for residents' respiratory tracts and lungs, Grulich explains.

Some may worry the refreshing natural landscape will be a bit spoiled by the proximity of the Malešice garbage disposal plant, which is just 2.9 kilometers away, but Grulich believes this is not a problem due to the surrounding topography of high buildings and favorable wind courses protecting the project from unpleasant smells emanating from the plant.

An additional advantage of the Malešice apartments, according to Louda, is the favorable price-to-size ratio. The average price for a 54-square-meter apartment is around 2,500,000 Kč including a balcony of around 10 square meters. In fact, Louda found the deal so attractive, he bought an apartment for himself.

Although the project was delayed due to the complexity of its design (the original date for starting construction was autumn 2010), SIDI is set to break ground on schedule, and construction is anticipated to take around 18 months. 

Klára Jiřičná can be reached at
kjiricna@praguepost.com