Prešov City – The Sekcov Valley as an Urban Landscape and its Development Potential

Idea projektu

The topic of my final thesis is urban design for the valley of the river Sekčov in Prešov. In the introduction of teoretical work, I point to climate change in the world, their causes and direct impacts on the lives of people in cities. The relationship of people to landscape and nature, but also to architecture and people, is an important driving force for the assumption of reversal of global climate problems. I draw attention to the importance of this territory and its benefits for the population. I address issues related to the conservation of biodiversity, but also the importance of the population, as the main tool for change. In the third part I deal with urban conceptions from historical, present but also future point of view. I analyze past tendencies of watercourse management in towns, their pluses and minuses. At the same time current and future tendencies. When saving any kind of territory, architecture or things, the most important information about them is. I find general solutions for the present and the future of cities that lead to ecology. In the last part I present a concrete proposal and measures for the valley of the river Sekčov in Prešov.

Popis projektu

The area of the Sekčov river valley is currently deserted, unused and unmaintained. At the same time, it has great, not only ecological, potential. The main topic of the work are climate changes, conservation of biocorridors, improvement of biodiversity and management of watercourses. Specifically, the effort to return the Sekčov River to its natural meanders. The goal of the design is to stop the construction of development projects in this unique area, to support its natural character and its positive impact on the climate of the city of Prešov and its inhabitants. The valley of the river Sekčov has the potential to become a stable country and positively affect the climate of the city of Prešov. At the same time, it represents a valuable area for the inhabitants, where they can spend their free time in nature in the city near their place of residence at the same time. It can become their new home for different groups of animals. The Sekčov River can return to its original meanders, or if it is possible to design a new route similar to the natural flow of rivers, which can help reduce the number of local floods. We also need to think about water quality, and therefore it is necessary to eliminate any possibility of contamination of the river or groundwater and to create trash traps in several places of the flow, which catch waste, but must be regularly inspected and cleaned. However, the effort does not end with the revitalization. Regular care and maintenance is required to ensure long-term functionality. We have found that if we want to design a sustainable and ecological environment, we must necessarily work with a comprehensive set of information about the country from different sectors. It is important to know the country as a whole with all the processes that take place in it and at the same time to be able to evaluate what impact the proposed changes will have on this system. Therefore, it is now necessary for an architect or urban planner to work with other professions, whether naturalists or water managers and others. It is necessary to change the value setting of the company from a consumer to a new, different, ecological one. Although we hear about climate change and various corporations offer us many new ecological opportunities for our lives, we still lack comprehensive and workable solutions for cities and urban landscapes. Maybe we also lack the effort to change our lives and get out of the usual comfort zone. In urban planning, the main values should be the country, its stability and the interest of citizens. Measures to promote stability, biodiversity and urban design rainwater infiltration need not be complicated or costly. The landscape around us is also a cultural value for future generations and a stable climate will allow them to live same as we have been allowed. Part of my work is also an architectural design for a building called Green Park, which is to serve as a central information point for the entire valley. The Green park building contains a greenhouse for growing and researching plants. There is a research laboratory, a study room and a coffee house. The goal is to bring nature closer to people. The location of the proposed building is quiet but at the same time easily accessible. It is a crossroads for walkers and cyclists between the city center and the Sekčov housing estate (from west to east), from south to north this route connects the whole city of Prešov. It is located off the frequently roads, near by Pod táborom Street. The land is situated so can’t create another barrier in the biocorridor. In terms of functional areas, the area falls under the proposed public areas. The whole area is not flooded, which allowed to locate the object in sufficient proximity to the river Sekčov. The building is situated in the landscape as well. If we approach the building towards the main entrance from Pod táborom Street, we do not perceive its entire capacity and thanks to the all-green roof it merges with the landscape. Towards the northeast, the terrain of the greenhouse rises and is continuously fed to the terrain in the exterior. It has two entrance - main, employee. The forecourt of the main entrance is seamlessly connected to the proposed walking paths and there is a pond with aquatic plants. On the banks of the Sekčov river, I design organically shaped terraces for more comfortable descent to the river. The Sekčov River is modified using diamond-shaped matrices - a starting form that will help the river to shape itself into its original / organic form. In the design, I also expand the space for the river itself in the embankments.

Technické informácie

The Green Park building consists of a concrete shell structure with a green walkable roof and a greenhouse with a steel structure.