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"We didn't want students to hand in term papers that merely fulfilled school assignments. That's why we presented them with real-world problems, compounded by increasing demands for heritage protection," said Jan Kubát, a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia (FAV UWB), who tasked his civil engineering students with designing the reconstruction of selected buildings from the Opálka manor farm complex. Four students focused on renovating the roof of a hayloft situated above 19th-century brewery cellars, another group designed a new roof for a residential building, and one student conducted a building-historical survey—an essential step for planning any restoration.

Involving students in real-world practice is nothing new at FAV UWB. However, the Opálka project stands out in terms of scale, complexity, and its long-term vision. "Seeing the decayed building with my own eyes, walking through it, and then preparing a full-scale architectural project was an amazing experience. I’m excited to supervise the roof’s reconstruction. It’ll be my first heritage-protected structure," said fourth-year student Hana Houzarová.

This isn’t just an academic exercise—the students' outputs will serve as the basis for actual restoration efforts and for the castle’s owner, Marcela Radlingerová. "Every roof truss repair, facade renovation, or window replacement requires a project that must be approved by the heritage authority. A poorly done plan can swallow huge sums of money—which we desperately lack at Opálka. Thanks to the Pilsen students, we now have professional-grade documentation for negotiations with the authorities," she said. The goal is to restore the complex in a way that authentically reflects life in the past—without electricity, running water, or modern comforts.

The site was chosen in collaboration with the National Heritage Institute. Opálka won out in part because it offers a diverse collection of preserved historic buildings—from residential houses to a smithy and a Renaissance brewery, along with orchards, ponds, and mills. "Students aren't under the same time pressure or workload they would face in practice. Opálka is a priority for them—they’re giving it their full attention, and the quality of their work is very high. I’d be happy to see them involved in other projects too," said Michal Konáš from the Pilsen office of the National Heritage Institute.

The students and the castle owner plan to continue working together for at least two more years, with additional civil engineering students from FAV UWB expected to join. Although the exact budget for the repairs hasn’t been set yet, the initial student projects propose works worth around 100,000 CZK. The owner hopes to raise the necessary funds through donations, grants, and volunteer work. If all goes well, restoration work could begin as early as this autumn.