A new concrete family house in Slovakia slots seamlessly into its naturally landscaped site

Embedded in a lush natural landscape in Slovakia, the Banánka family house is located in Bánka, about 70km northeast of Bratislava. With a name derived from the word for the female residents of the small village, the Banánka house is an otherworldly space where vivid vegetation and forests appear to flood in from every angle.

Explore this rural sanctuary in Slovakia

Designed by Braňo Hovorka and Martin Paulíny of Slovakian practice Paulíny Hovorka Architects, the Banánka is a 244m2 family house arranged horizontally in a Y-shaped plan. The two arms of the Y form wings that reach out and embrace the landscape with expanses of glass that bring the outside in, while the third element serves as an entrance, car port and utility space.

The structure, engineered by Pavol Hubinský uses exposed concrete for the load bearing walls and columns, with a striking V-shaped form marking the point of entrance. The imprint of the wooden shuttering is evident throughout. Floors and decking use oak and thermally modified pine respectively, while the interior columns are made from galvanized steel, as are the gabion baskets that form a textured exterior wall on the entrance façade.

Naturally, the windows overlooking the garden can be slid open, with the natural pond and carefully planted landscape and rock garden designed to be felt and heard throughout the living spaces. Landscape architect Martin Sučič has made the most of a stream flowing through the site, which is set in a valley, fringed with mature deciduous trees, creating what the architects describe as a ‘melancholic atmosphere’ in the heart of nature.

This romantic vision is enhanced by the interior layout. At the pivot point of the floor plan you’ll find the kitchen, dining and living space, with an exterior covered terrace containing seating and dining areas overlooking the rock garden. The landscaping has been artfully composed to shield any neighbouring structures, adding to the sense of solitary isolation.

To the right of the entrance sequence is the parents’ wing, a substantial space consisting with its own terrace and hot tub, expansive walk-in wardrobe, sauna and ensuite. The other side of the house contains three bedrooms, a bathroom and a study and meditation area overlooking the garden, while plant, utility and bike storage is located adjoining the entrance.

Careful positioning ensured that every tree on the plot – a former garden – was preserved, with materials chosen for their longevity and equivalence with the surrounding landscape: stone, concrete, wood and the transparency of glass with ultra-slim aluminium frames. Inside, much of the furniture is custom made, including the beds and modular sofa.

Paulíny and Hovorka founded their studio in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia in 1998. ‘Each construction site has its advantages and disadvantages, which can be taken into account in relation to the starting requirements of future users,’ they write, ‘The advantages of the location must be fully utilized in the design, disadvantages minimized, and any formalism avoided, while appropriately using contemporary technological advancements.’ The Banánka house exploits this approach to the full, creating a sanctuary that is embedded in the landscape yet retains an architectural precision throughout.

Paulíny Hovorka Architects, PHA.sk