Christopher Columbus once said that he would never have crossed the ocean, had he not had the courage to lose sight of the shore. Like the famous seafarer, we had to put not only reason, but also heart and courage into our overseas work. The result is Cape Smokey, a confident project located adjacent to Cape Breton Highlands National Park on Canada’s north-east coast.
The men behind the Cape Smokey project may have different professions, interests, or even temperaments. However, they are united by their strong entrepreneurial achievements, their hard work and their ability to implement their visions to the highest possible quality.
For thirty years he has successfully managed RODOP, a. s., which has not only built several large Prague residential projects, but also built and operates, for example, the Hostivař Golf Gallery. He was also the founder of TECHO. But his heart’s work is the SKiMU ski area in Malá Úpa. It is a project that has breathed life into the whole area and that is very sensitively cultivating and restoring the genius loci of this beautiful place in the Giant Mountains. He has built and also successfully operates five microbreweries.
Together with Martin Kulík, he founded the company TECHO, which is now part of an international company. He headed it for thirty years, from the beginnings of housing production to management within a large concern. His name is known mainly by athletes, as a former rowing representative he is now the President of the Czech Olympic Committee and an individual member of the International Olympic Committee. Since 2021, when he finally left TECHO, a. s., he has been dedicated to the Canadian project.
Twenty years ago, Joseph Balaz discovered an 88-hectare peninsula called Red Head in Nova Scotia, which he purchased together with Jirka Kejval. After emigrating in 1982, Balaz founded a company in New York specializing in managing luxury construction projects for prominent clients. Alongside the development of Cape Smokey, he is involved in other activities, including supporting startups. In 2006, he became the president of the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association, established in 1891, which, under his leadership, represents Czech cultural heritage in the USA.
Originally a planner by profession, he first came to Lipno to prepare the construction of a wastewater treatment plant. Today, as a co-owner of the company Conduco, which operates the entire Lipno ski resort, he is the author of the ideas for the construction of ski slopes, a treetop walktrail, which was the first in the Czech Republic, restaurants, accommodation facilities and an amusement park called the Kingdom of the Forest. The area continues to develop, with approximately one billion crowns invested so far.
He is the co-founder and today the sole owner of the A8000 architectural studio, which he has led since 1989. This studio is the court architect of the Lipno complex. Other projects include, for example, the architectural design of the multifunctional hall Forum Karlín in Prague, the reconstruction of the concert hall of the South Bohemian Philharmonic in České Budějovice, Pavilion Z at the České Budějovice Exhibition Centre, or the train stations in Pilsen and České Budějovice. They have other projects in Slovakia and Canada.
The A8000 studio took the urban planning under its wing and prepared an architectural concept for the entire site. The ADR studio leaves its unmistakable impression on the designs of the first two phases of the houses.
ADR is an architectural studio founded by Petr Kolář and Aleš Lapka in 1996. The first collaboration between the founding duo was established in 1992 at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague under the name Architectural Associates.
The studio currently focuses on building and reconstruction projects. It also works on interior design projects, where it closely co-operates with visual artists. ADR implements projects not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad.
Over the more than 25 years of its existence, the architects have developed their own signature, which is based on the creative work of all members of the nearly 40-member team. In recent years, it has been awarded a number of major prizes.
In 2014, they won the main prize in the interior category in the Architect Grand Prix competition with their project of the Megapixel store network. In 2014, their Velaa Private Islands project was awarded the International Hotel Awards – Velaa Private Island Maldives, and in 2015 the Luxury Travel Guide Awards prize. The Javorník distillery project was awarded a prize by the Club for Old Prague in 2017.
In 2018, ADR was awarded the Best National Olympic House prize in PyeongChang and the Trautenberk Brewery project was awarded by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency for its sensitive reconstruction of a building in the countryside.
The studio won the Red Dot Award prize in the Industrial Design category in 2003 and 2010. In 2019, the Czech Olympic Committee awarded the studio for its outstanding contribution to sport and the Olympic movement. One of his last major commissions so far is called Red Head. Thanks to the unique combination of architecture and nature, this project can evoke the feeling of a unique paradise on Earth. Nestled in the heart of a national park in Canada, this luxurious home is surrounded by beautiful countryside providing complete privacy for the residents.
The A8000 studio, under the leadership of Martin Krupauer and Pavel Kvintus, has been one of the leading Czech architectural studios for more than three decades. Its team of experienced architects and engineers specializes in projects of challenging in their scope and complexity in the Czech Republic and abroad. Through Martin Krupauer, it is also significantly involved in the public debate and spatial development.
In addition to architecture, Martin Krupauer also focuses on visions and strategies for the transformation of transformation areas and brownfields in the Czech Republic and abroad. He is now leading a team preparing the construction of the Vltava Philharmonic in Prague, Prague’s first major cultural building in 100 years. Thanks to projects such as the revitalization of cities, their neighbourhoods or campuses, the studio confirms its interdisciplinary practice.
In 2020, the studio was awarded the Building of the Year title for the project of the Sedlčany Community Centre and in 2022 the honorary award of Finalist of the Czech Architecture Award for the reconstruction of Hall Z at the České Budějovice Exhibition Centre.
Other important projects of the studio include the architectural design of the multifunctional Forum Karlín hall in Prague. The A8000 studio is also behind the prize-winning urban design for the transformation of the surroundings of Lake Medard and is involved in the transformation of the Brno Špitálka area.
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