Q&A

Due to a technical error, in chapter 6.3.8 Economy Requirements and Guidelines, the incorrect amount of the investment was stated, below is the correct information that has also been corrected in the PDF Programme for download.

6.3.8 Economy Requirements and Guidelines/ page 78

Investment amount

The amount of investment for the construction of a new student accommodation facility within the Student City was defined based on the approximations of the investment project and amounts to EUR 24,500,000 without VAT, and for equipping this facility after construction, funds in the amount of EUR 1,250,000 without VAT are planned.

QUESTION 2

Do competition designs from another language area have to be translated into Serbian?

ANSWER

The language of the competition is Serbian or English.

QUESTION 4

Dear Sirs, is it allowed to have two entrances in the building, due to number of students, and is there any division on men and women part.

ANSWER

Competition assignment/ TERMS OF REFERENCE does not anticipated division to men and women part of the dormitory. Competition assignment did not pre-define number of entrances into the building.

QUESTION 5

The question is related to the criteria for participation in the competition. Do "natural persons with a university degree" include natural persons who have only completed basic studies in architecture for a duration of 3 years (the title of Bachelor of Architecture – B.Arch.)?

ANSWER

Dear Sir/Madam, your author's team must include a person with a university degree -  M.Arch or Dipl. Ing. Arch.

QUESTION 6

Dear Sir/Madam, considering that the existing student housing facilities are a massive structural assembly, should we stick to the existing dimensions of the accommodation units, as well as the accompanying rooms, or is there a possibility of connecting several rooms in the form of passages in the wall?

ANSWER

When formulating proposed solutions for the reconstruction of existing buildings, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the existing structural assembly. All interventions that take into account the need to ensure the load-bearing capacity and stability of the structural assembly of the reconstructed building, as well as the rationality and sustainability of the proposed solution, are acceptable.

QUESTION 7

Is it possible for the building to have two entrances, taking into account its size? I already asked once the same question but did not receive the answer. I hope you will answer this time.

ANSWER

Competition assignment/ TERMS OF REFERENCE did not pre-define number of entrances into the building.

QUESTION 8

Can the building of the new students’ housing be designed as a high building, i.e. that in that case, the maximum permitted height of the building of 32m should be changed, which would later be implemented by changing the plan, which would also include the analysis of the high building?

ANSWER

The maximum permitted building height of 32.0 m is a fixed limit for the planned construction.

QUESTION 9

Is it possible for a part of the contents of student housing and compatible purposes to be designed outside the zone intended for new construction in the southern part of the complex at the position of the current sports fields, if the new construction is within the boundaries of the complex, within the construction zone and with respect for the height distances and other construction rules?

ANSWER

The competition solution should be prepared in accordance with the competition assignment, with elements and guidelines contained in the competition assignment/ TERMS OF REFERENCE, as well as in accordance with stipulated urban planning conditions and recommendations.

QUESTION 10

Is it possible to foresee passageways/openings in partition walls of massive construction, which is present in existing residential buildings, if the concept envisages the connection of rooms in order to increase the space?

ANSWER

The answer is given in the answer to Question 6.

QUESTION 11

Since there are some differences in basemaps for the existing state of buildings, primarily housing buildings, we would like to know which documents are more relevant: dwg or pdf basemaps?

ANSWER

Documents on DWG format are more relevant. Bases, cross-sections and layouts in DWG files are harmonized with current existing state of buildings.

QUESTION 12

Dear Sirs, is the material and more detailed characteristics of the existing massive structural system known? In the case of an upgrade, and for the purpose of making a systematic calculation, we do not have sufficient data about these walls, is this data available in some archive? best regards

ANSWER

Basic conclusions about the physical structure and structural assembly of existing buildings can be made on the basis of graphic documentation (disposition and dimensions of all structural elements, materialization of mezzanine structures, stairs, roof, etc.) taking into account also the period of construction.

Since the revitalization / reconstruction / upgrade of existing accommodation facilities are the subject of a competition at the survey level and detailed tests or evaluation of the state of the structure are not available, it is expected that the proposed design solution of buildings in question in the field of construction will be approximate.

QUESTION 13

Dear Sirs,

Are there any limitations regarding the reconstruction of the envelope of the existing building, in the context of adding new bay windows to the existing structure? Best regards

ANSWER

When it comes to the revitalization, reconstruction and eventual upgrade of the existing accommodation facilities - DORMITORY 1, DORMITORY 2, DORMITORY 3 and DORMITORY 4, the Competition assignment (p. 63) indicates that, in the case of the need for structural strengthening of the existing physical structure, "it is expedient to consider the position of the new facade canvases in relation to the existing facade planes", which also provides the possibility of horizontal "expansion" of these buildings, of course bearing in mind the expediency and rationality of the proposed interventions, as well as all the requirements and restrictions given by the Programme.

With regard to the RESTAURANT WITH AN ANNEX and BOILER ROOM WITH RESERVOIR buildings, in the Competition assignment (p. 63) it was indicated that, in connection with the planned revitalization of the "Studentski Grad" complex, it is necessary to consider their reconstruction "in order to affirm their capacities in the context of sustainability and energy efficiency ... primarily in terms of the visual and technological characteristics of the facade and roof covering materials and the overall visual character of those buildings as a whole", and no extensions are expected for these buildings in terms of adding new usable areas.

QUESTION 14

By adding up all the maximum allowed net areas, an area of 22.100 m2 is obtained, which means that 2.400m2 remains for the area of walls, terraces, common rooms, evacuation stairs... Are terraces, green roofs, evacuation stairs included in the gross area?

ANSWER

The gross area is determined by the external measurements of the finished facade walls, including the terraces (of course, the internal evacuation stairs as well). The gross area of the building represents the sum of the gross areas of all above-ground and underground floors.

Green roofs (including those planned as a shared outdoor space), impassable terraces, canopies, external stairs and ramps (covered and not covered) etc. are not included in the gross area.

QUESTION 15

1. Is the zero level of the building determined, given that the given plot has a height difference of 1.5 meters, or do we determine the zero level ourselves?

ANSWER

The zero level was not determined by the competition task.

According to the Belgrade General Regulation Plan / B) Rules of arrangement and construction / 1. Glossary:

"Zero level - the point of intersection of the terrain line and the vertical axis of the building in the plane of the facade canvas towards the access road".

2. The eternal question: is it possible to extend the deadline for submission of designs? Given that the Competition overlaps with two other public competitions and was announced during the summer holidays. A good practice of the postponement of the submission of competition designs happened twice this year in the competition for MTI Kragujevac, as well as for the competition Belo Brdo in Vinča.

ANSWER

The deadline for submission of designs remains 25 October 2022, as stipulated by the Announcement and Programme of the Competition

3. Is it allowed, during the reconstruction of existing buildings, to expand in relation to the existing facade planes, in addition to the possibility of upgrading to a maximum height of 32 meters?

ANSWER

The answer is given in the answer for Question 13.

QUESTION 16

Are the lofts which have been added onto the student residence halls protected?

ANSWER

No. The Competition’s programme (p. 41) reads the following “The Student’s City Cultural Center is the only property within the Student City complex that has been officially recognized as a value that deserves urbanistic protection in accordance with the criterion K8 - “Contextual value - the structure materially defines a high-quality urban atmosphere or participates with its stylistic values in the characterization of local setting.”.

QUESTION 17

Are green terraces and planters included in the gross building area (GFA) as we know that green roofs are not?

ANSWER

A gross area is determined with the external measures of the finally processed façade walls, including terraces.

QUESTION 18

 Is the appurtenant terrace/loggia included in the recommended surface area of an accommodation unit per accommodation user (12 - 16 m2)?

ANSWER

The Competition assignment (p. 55) reads: “Recommended floor areas of accommodation units per user include all spatial and programmatic contents, including the corresponding outside area.” So, the answer is yes -  the appurtenant balcony/loggia is included in the recommended surface area of an accommodation unit per accommodation user.

The Competition assignment (p. 62) also reads: “Recommended net areas per user, functional segments and facilities, which are specified in the Chapter 6.2.1 and the Table Overview of Planned Floor Areas per Functional Segments, are approximate. Variations are allowed in the context of possible redistribution of facilities within the accommodation and common areas intended for students, which depending on the design concept may include flexible and multifunctional use of the area of “extended” communications, provided that specified requirements and standards for recommended floor areas are met and that the proposal of the spatial usage is satisfactorily explained. Regarding floor area and capacity, the planned total maximal GFA of 24, 500 m2 and the requirement to provide accommodation for 1,000 users constitute strict limits for the design of the new construction.”

QUESTION 19

Is the fence around the complex necessary and if it is, what does it serve for?

ANSWER

Yes, the fence around the complex is necessary in order that the functioning of the complex be controllable.

QUESTION 20

Page 67: " For the purposes of creating technical documentation and determining the position of new facilities, it is necessary to prepare a valorization manual (bio-ecological basis) of the existing vegetation, in order to preserve it to the greatest extent possible.”

In which stage of the design process is this enclosure expected to be completed?

ANSWER

In the stage of work on urban planning and technical documentation.

QUESTION 21

As an architect registered with the Turkish Chamber of Architects, do we have a chance to participate in the competition?

ANSWER

Yes, you can participate in the Competition. In order to submit a competitive work, it is not necessary for the team to include a person who has the appropriate license issued by the Serbian Chamber of Engineers. If your work is awarded and is the subject of further elaboration, it will be necessary to include in the team a person who has a corresponding valid license issued by the Serbian Chamber of Engineers, in accordance with the Law on Planning and Construction of the Republic of Serbia. It is expected that the competitive solution fulfills the conditions established by the Competition and is in accordance with the competent regulations of the Republic of Serbia related to the field of planning and construction and the topic of the Competition.

QUESTION 22

Does the set cornice height level of 32m also refer to the height level of the loft (is it possible to construct a loft above a cornice set at a height level of 32m, which loft has been provided as a possibility in the table of urban planning requirements and parameters)?

ANSWER

According to the amendments to the General Regulation Plan of the City of Belgrade (“Official Journal of the City of Belgrade no. 27/22) / TERMS

11) Structure Height – distance of the cornice of the structure’s uppermost floor, at the level of the façade wall panel, from the highest level of the access road, i.e. zero level. As for flat-roofed structures, the cornice height level is calculated up to the upper level of the loft fence. As for structures that are set back in relation to the zero level, it is defined as a distance from the zero level to the height of the cornice, i.e. to the upper level of the loft fence. 

17) Loft – the uppermost floor set back from the façade wall panel towards the public traffic surface by 1.5m at least at the floor level. The loft cornice level is at 3.5m at most above the loft floor level.

QUESTION 23

1. Under point E. COMMUNICATIONS AND AUXILIARY AND TECHNICAL AREAS, the technical premises within a home have been specified, but their dimensions have not. The dimensions have been provided collectively for all the communications, ancillary rooms and technical premises. Can we obtain dimensions for each technical area that is required?

ANSWER

As, in this stage of the design process, it is not possible to specify the exact dimensions of technical premises, the competition solution is expected to provide the approximate capacities and dimensions of technical premises, which shall be in accordance with the technological requirements and the structure’s capacity.

2.   Is there a more detailed project of Studentska street than the one provided in the   General Regulation Plan?

ANSWER

No, there is no project of Studentska street that is more detailed than the one provided in the General Regulation Plan.

3. In the reply to Question 13, the reconstruction of the restaurant and boiler room facilities is mentioned, but there is no sufficient information on either of the aforesaid facilities, either in the text or in the drawings, to commence the design of their reconstruction. It might be possible to suggest an outer covering for thermoisolation purposes. Also, neither of the two facilities has been mentioned in point 8.3. Content of the competition elaborate, pages 80,81,82 and 83, so one may wonder if the reconstruction of the two facilities is an obligatory part of the competition assignment at all.

ANSWER

In reply to Question 13, as well as in the Competition Assignment, it is mentioned that the reconstruction and revitalization of the restaurant and boiler room facilities should be considered  “in order to affirm their capacities in the context of sustainability and energy efficiency… primarily in terms of the visual and technological characteristics of the facade and roof covering materials and the overall visual character of those buildings as a structural whole”, so, in relation to these facilities, it is the interventions related to the “covering” of the building that are expected.

QUESTION 24

In the Programme of the competition (page 64), it is stated to envisage the reconstruction of the existing “Fontana” cafe in terms of its positional and form alignment. Does this mean that it is allowed to move the cafe to another place within the Student City?

ANSWER

Yes.

QUESTION 25

Dear Sir/Madam, is it expected that each of the Dormitory will be separately designed when presenting the floor plan, or is it possible to multiply one multiple times? Is it expected to solve each Dormitory separately or is only one enough?

ANSWER

It is expected that the display of the ground floor solution, in its domain, will enable the review and consideration of the proposed solution for the reconstruction and adaptation of the existing accommodation facilities.

In the competition program (part 8.3 / 2. Graphic attachments (2D and 3D) / page 82) it is stated: "Reconstruction and adaptation of existing accommodation facilities (presentation of one Dormitory per choice)”, therefore it is not expected that the solution of each Dormitory will be presented separately.