April 26, 2024
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Summary of approved PhD theses

Premises of the dynamite Nobel factory in Bratislava
Ing. arch. Nina Bartošová, PhD.

Since its establishment, the premises of a large-scale chemical works in Bratislava — Nové Mesto, has gone through an intricate development. They grew upon foundations of an explosives factory, founded by the eminent Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel in 1873. During the World War II, under the control of a German concern IG Farben, the production expanded considerably. It was accompanied by a massive construction activity in the area. The next significant moment of expansion came after the war, when the new plant — Závod Mieru — was founded. It was commissioned to be designed by the architect Vladimír Karfík. Throughout the entire time, it was not just the factory’s own site that evolved, but also the adjacent neighbourhoods — the workers’ housing, amenities and infrastructure. At present, the plant premises are in a state of decay, while historical significance is illegible, and the future development course is not clear. The thesis research is focused on values of a dynamite factory — as a specific type of industrial heritage — from today’s point of view. It examines the issues of physically preserved structures, and their potential in terms of a future territorial re-use. We are searching for the answers using a comparative method of 6 Nobel’s dynamite factories in Europe, that were established around the same time as the factory in Bratislava. Their confrontation with the factory in Bratislava, and its evolution since its early period, helps to define the conclusions while identifying the causes of today’s condition. The problems are analysed in a wider context that allows us to show, how they need to be addressed in order to grasp the specific issue in its complexity. The thesis identifies particular values of the preserved historical structure in terms of urban and architectural point of view, as well as from a point of a historic and cultural monument. At the same time we are trying to emphasize other aspects that need to be addressed in consideration of sustainable re-use. The aim is not to present a definite solution, but quite the opposite: to point out that the answer could not come from a single field of research. The thesis offers conclusions valid not just for the dynamite factory in Bratislava, but also for problematic industrial heritage sites in general.

Sustainable passive house: Architectural design optimalisation of existing passive house construction for sustainability improvement. Development of evaluation criteria for life cycles: Architectural design – planning – use – unbuilding
Ing. arch. Dipl.-Ing. (FH/) Werner Friedl, PhD.

In this dissertation, new approaches were developed to increase the sustainability of passive and passive-house-like buildings. At the end of the academic work is the evaluation process, “GreenPassivehouse”. At the beginning of the thesis the theoretical foundations worked out and at the end are evaluation forms to find for using the method. An example application completes the dissertation in Appendix 1. A “GreenPassivehouse” will not occur in competition with the existing passive house standard, but they supply additional sustainability criteria. The sustainability of buildings has been divided into “primary” and “secondary” areas. In primary parameters, user-dependent factors of builder, architect or user are influenced. In secondary parameters, upstream user independent processes have to be considered. The secondary assessment covers the quality of urban design and land use planning. By dividing into primary and secondary parameters, responsibilities are addressed properly. Upstream Users Independent secondary parameters are thus shown separately and evaluated. With the help of the energetic form factor, the energetic orientation factor, the architectural politeness factor, the architectural material factor, the architectural utilization factor, the architectural Life-form factor and the architectural deconstruction factor, it is now possible to concretize vague sustainability areas. The rating system provides a degree of comparability of the sustainability of passive and passive-house-like buildings. With this scoring system, all buildings will be assessed as “GreenPassivehouse” regardless of if it is in fact a passive house or not. The score reflects the quality of primary and secondary parameters. The existing certification systems for evaluating the sustainability of buildings, such as “BREEAM”, “LEED” and “DGNB” differ from my principle presented in this dissertation approach. My research in this field provides new planning tools available to increase the sustainability of buildings and comparable assessment. The methodology “Green passive house” could therefore be considered as an evaluation system of the third generation.

Chaotic structures – hidden logic of emergent systems on the platform of parametric design of architecture
Ing. arch. Michal Valúšek, PhD.

The linear approach to thinking determines our inability to consider more than one thing at once, because our mental processes are liable to a parallel spark of billions neurons in the brain. These cracky sparks connecting our conscience and information from the environment generate way some disorganization, or chaos, they are unpredictable and arise randomly for no reason when we never know what we will think of the moment. However, in rapid succession they interact and compose thoughts into some form in the steps. The result of this complex flow of associations in our mind is “human language = idea code”, that analogy is in today’s world of digital culture “computer language = algorithm, script” well-defined code too. Algorithm, as a language, is like a new kind of computer recipes that steps can often lead to achieve solutions of quantitative challenging problem. It is the non-conformist formulation of thinking about the problem allowing to move the architekt’s idea beyond of their limits. Algorithmically designed architecture as well as in this work becomes a product of an intelligent text of language as a computer essay written by human hands forming conclusions in the space. In the programming architecture, the logic of computer algorithm is describing the precise parameters in any way able to modeling the complex architectural fluid, forces, fields, or continuous figures that not characterize decay of order (chaos), but they are materializing complex mathematical repetition, layering and information from analysis. It is no randomness or accident, but a computer algorithm able by the architect selectively controlled modifying of architectural morphology in the environment. Research of this work therefore wants by targeted computer using the power of computer language and sophisticated scripting technique encourage a dialogue about unconventional practice in the digital design of chaotic structures and try to describe and apply the hidden canons or logic of their organizations in the field of parametric design of architecture.

Pavilion as a part of the image of a city
Ing. arch. Katarín Boháčová, PhD.

The thesis deals with the effect of a pavilion in public areas. It investigates the current situation in the global context. It monitors the role a pavilion as a social, compositional and image element in public areas. However, it preferentially examines a pavilion itself in terms of an area and its impact on the increase of area identity. The article addresses major issues related to designing of a pavilion in public space. The author deals with the interpretation of term “pavilion” and reflects on classic and modern interpretations of importance of a pavilion. In connection with the issue, the author raises the following questions: What do we mean by term “pavilion”? What is the role of a pavilion in public space? What is the significance of a pavilion in public space? Can a pavilion affect the image of an area? The author attempts to answer the mentioned questions on the basis of synthesis of acquired information, while pointing to possible principles of creation and regulation of pavilions in public space.

Keywords: sustainability, digital technologies, dissertation thesis, monument restoration, architecture