Student-Designed Park “Na Zahájce” in Hrušky is Taking Shape
In June 2021, a tornado devastated the village of Hrušky, severely damaging the central park. As part of the effort to restore the public space, five teams of fourth-year students from the Biotechnology Studio II developed project documentation. The winning team’s design, created by a group of female students, is now becoming a reality as the reconstruction of Park Na Zahájce begins.
In December 2023, a workshop took place as part of the park’s implementation, allowing current students and the original project authors to plant a tree in the future park. This initiative ensures that students are involved in the entire process, from designing the concept to seeing their vision come to life.
The new Park Na Zahájce will feature:
🌿 Relaxation zones around a pond with a pier
🏃 Playgrounds, a workout area, and a football field
🔥 A fire pit
🍐 A pear orchard
🌲 A forest park
“The park is now in its final phase. Paths are completed, furniture and small structures like staircases have been installed, and work on the gazebo and a screening wall around the gas probe is finishing. The planting of trees and shrubs is done, and only the lawns remain to be seeded next year. By May 2025, the park will be fully completed,” said Přemysl Krejčiřík from the Department of Green Biotechnology at the Faculty of Horticulture, MENDELU.
The winning team of students—Jana Dynková, Maria Kačalová, Johana Kratochvilová, Zuzana Ottová, Kristýna Tesková, and Tereza Vašková—had to tackle not only the destruction caused by the tornado, which left the area almost completely without trees, but also the challenge of creating a landscape that can withstand extreme weather fluctuations.
“This is an absolutely unique opportunity for students. We train them to handle climate change challenges, which are new frontiers in landscape architecture. The project integrates the latest blue-green infrastructure solutions, such as water retention, infiltration, and stormwater management,” Krejčiřík explained.
The Hrušky project is one of several student-led initiatives through which the Faculty of Horticulture at MENDELU is helping tornado-affected communities restore green spaces in both urban and rural areas.
💰 Project cost: Over 20 million CZK
📅 Funding: State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic (for tornado recovery)
📩 Contact for more information:
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Přemysl Krejčiřík, Ph.D.
📧 premysl.krejcirik@mendelu.cz
📞 +420 604 834 527
Department of Green Biotechnology, Faculty of Horticulture, MENDELU