Diorit Residence / Architekti DRNH

Architects: Architekti DRNH
Area: 15,962 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Petr Polák
Lead Architects: Antonín Novák, Petr Valenta, Eduard Štěrbák
Co-Authors: Pavel Heřmanský, Tomáš Langr, Martina Štollová, Jan Bureš
Landscape Architects: Klára Stachová, Marie Gelová, Pavla Drbalová
Garden Design: Mirka Poláchová
Main Contractor: MORAVOSTAV Brno
Concrete Works: NEOL – STAV
Metalwork: FS POWER PLUS
Electrical Installations: SITEL
Sanitary Ware & Equipment: Koupelny Ptáček
Interior Doors: Podeta
Manufacturers: Hansgrohe, Atena, DAFE, DEKMETAL, Forbo, GLASS lines, HT Dveře, Imola, Kone, Nordlux, Schüco, TIGER Coatings, Weber, Wineo, Xella, loxone
Client: PMP Investment Group
City: Brno-Komín
Country: Czechia

Set on the rehabilitated grounds of a former quarry between Brno’s Komín and Bystrc districts, Diorit Residence by Architekti DRNH transforms an industrial brownfield into a sustainable living environment. The 15,962-square-meter complex integrates architecture and ecology through a design that restores biodiversity while introducing new housing typologies within the reclaimed landscape. Shaped by the quarry’s steep terrain, the building combines curving façades, terraced greenery, and natural materials to harmonize with the rock formations. Energy-efficient systems, including heat pumps and rainwater reuse, position the project within Class A sustainability standards. The development also incorporates shared amenities, commercial units, and smart home technologies, exemplifying a contemporary approach to urban regeneration that values environmental continuity as much as residential comfort.

Diorit Residence stands as a contemporary response to one of Brno’s most complex post-industrial sites, redefining the relationship between architecture, nature, and urban growth. Conceived by Architekti DRNH, the project occupies the grounds of a disused quarry along the Svratka River, a place where nature had gradually reclaimed the industrial scars left behind. Instead of erasing this transformation, the architects chose to amplify it, designing a residential complex that both acknowledges the site’s geological memory and revitalizes it as a living ecosystem.

The design process began with the recognition of the quarry’s ecological potential. Over time, spontaneous vegetation had fostered biodiversity uncommon in the surrounding city. The project sought to preserve and strengthen this balance while introducing residential density that discourages urban sprawl. Through collaboration with environmental authorities and local stakeholders, the architects reimagined the brownfield as a sustainable urban enclave, its name “Diorit” recalling the mineral once mined from the site.

Architecturally, the building adapts to the quarry’s dynamic topography. Its massing follows the contours of steep slopes and terraces, transitioning from a street-facing volume that mitigates noise to a series of cascading residential levels opening onto a shared park. The façades combine plaster in natural hues with milky glass panels, achieving a visual softness that blends with the surrounding stone and vegetation. Extensive greenery envelops the structure, culminating in a roof garden that extends the ecological continuity of the quarry walls.

Inside, spatial variety defines the living experience. Apartments range from compact studios to expansive four-room residences, with terraces oriented toward the landscaped courtyard. Corner units enjoy panoramic views across the Svratka valley, while shared amenities—reception, commercial spaces, and smart home systems—offer convenience without compromising privacy. Distinct color schemes within circulation areas enhance orientation and lend subtle character to the interiors.

The construction employs reinforced concrete walls and sand-lime brick blocks, with the garage’s monolithic frame revealing sections of the original rock. Environmental systems form a central pillar of the design: heat pumps draw energy from deep wells for heating and cooling, and a water management system collects rainfall for irrigation, ensuring minimal discharge to the city’s sewer infrastructure. Classified as an energy-efficient Class A building, Diorit Residence demonstrates how architecture can regenerate landscapes while maintaining rigorous sustainability standards.

By bridging the natural and the built, Diorit Residence transforms a forgotten industrial site into a living environment that sustains both community and ecology. It affirms that contemporary housing can evolve from the terrain itself, respecting its layers of history while shaping a future that is both environmentally resilient and architecturally refined.