Czech Journal of Civil Engineering

EDITORIAL Vol. 11, Issue 1 (2025)

Václav Venkrbec — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Title page + Editorial Board + Scope & Imprint + Contents

Contributions and Collaboration with Investors: The Key to Sustainable Urban Development in the Czech Republic

Tereza Ježková — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Real estate development remains a pressing topic in public debate. Effective collaboration between the public and private sectors is key to sustainable urban development. Despite ongoing efforts to improve the legislative framework and enhance transparency in decision-making processes, challenges persist in the areas of financing, regulation, and interest coordination. The future progress of this cooperation will depend on cities’ ability to establish clear guidelines and incentivize investors to engage in long-term sustainable projects. These projects should incorporate various climate adaptation measures, prioritize green space preservation, promote renewable energy sources, and support energy self-sufficiency. To achieve these goals, cities are adopting Principles for Cooperation with Investors—a document approved by the city council or municipal representatives, outlining rules for the implementation of development projects. At the same time, the municipality commits to adhering to agreed deadlines and cooperation terms. In return for the city's support and the opportunity to enhance the value of the area where they build, developers contribute financially to the development of public and technical infrastructure, thereby reducing the burden on public budgets.

Methods of Examining Architectural Works for Defining Expressive Elements of Contemporary Architecture and Their Classification

Iveta Křížová — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If we were to further develop the realm of traditional architecture, we could define it in our own language, which is not tied to a specific place. At this moment, language becomes an expressive medium that interprets the way a building is shaped. The language of form represents only a prescription for creating a structural order. Its products acquire their characteristic appearance. [1]

At this point, we would end up with a building deprived of its inner richness, as it would be a flat transcription without any possible added value. We should be mindful of all aspects of the work to prevent the creation of an internally impoverished structure and strive to explore content principles even within a simple form.

Likewise, a modernist form does not necessarily have to be poor, especially in the case of asceticism, which can be a positive lifestyle choice. How can we define the realities that enter the design process and create the boundary between quality architecture and mere construction. What characteristics could help delineate this distinction and assess these values.

Bratislava contexts of glass mosaic facades

Andrej Bisták, Eva Borecká, Oto Makýš — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the recent past, glass mosaic was a common feature of the facades of public buildings, but sometimes also of prefabricated and standardized civic construction in housing estates. In the context in which it was used, it was often overlooked and lacked adequate artistic effect. Today, it is gradually disappearing under layers of thermal insulation systems. However, the creation of glass mosaic cladding has a famous history rooted in northern Bohemia, in the Jablonec nad Nisou jewellery region. Our article aims to open a discussion about glass mosaic building facades and encourage deeper reflection on their architectural and technical value. We see this contribution as an introduction to the issue and begin with a brief historical excursion into the production of glass mosaic in the former Czechoslovakia. We then present characteristic examples of Bratislava buildings with glass mosaic facades, using buildings with original facades as examples, while emphasizing the historically significant Bratislava context. The conclusion of our research shows that despite the demise of original Czechoslovak production, we can continue to manufacture new glass mosaic facades using foreign solutions in accordance with today's building requirements. Naturally, this is a solution with higher investment requirements, which will be mainly used in the design or renovation of exceptional buildings, including buildings from the late modern period, which are gradually gaining the status of cultural heritage monument.

Data-Driven Prediction of Seismic Drift Responses Using DNNs and XAI

Mayaz Uddin Gazi, Md Lahin Kabir, Rayhan Chowdhury, Sibbir Ahmed, Titumir Hsaan — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Structural drift is an important way to measure how well a building can withstand earthquakes. Too much drift can cause serious damage or even collapse, especially in reinforced concrete frames. For seismic risk assessment and resilient design in tectonically active, resource-limited areas, it is important to be able to accurately predict drift. This study offers a clear, data-driven framework that combines nonlinear time-history analyses in OpenSees with machine learning and explainable AI techniques. For supervised regression, a synthetic dataset of different types of buildings and ground motion scenarios for Bangladesh was used. SHAP and LIME were used to test Random Forest and deep neural network models. Random Forest was more accurate (R² = 0.897, MAE = 0.491). The framework offers a comprehensible and effective methodology for seismic risk assessment and urban resilience planning.