Banánka House | © Matej Hakár Tucked at the forested edge of the village of Banka, Slovakia, the Banánka House by Paulíny Hovorka Architects presents a compelling case for contemporary domestic architecture that merges tectonic clarity with landscape immersion. Conceived as a tranquil family retreat, the project engages with its natural surroundings through mimicry, strategic alignment, material honesty, and spatial humility. The house, completed in 2024, demonstrates how architectural restraint can produce profound spatial richness rooted in its immediate context. Banánka House Technical Information Architects1-14: Paulíny Hovorka Architects Location: Banka, Slovakia Area: 416 m2 | 4,477 Sq. Ft. Project Year: 2020 – 2024 Photographs: © Matej Hakár Our goal was to create a home that dissolves into the landscape; not through mimicry, but through spatial clarity, material honesty, and a deep respect for the existing garden and forest context. – Braňo Hovorka & Martin Paulíny, Paulíny Hovorka Architects Banánka House Photographs Aerial View | © Matej Hakár Aerial View | © Matej Hakár Aerial View | © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár © Matej Hakár Context and Site Integration The siting of the Banánka House is informed by the quiet drama of the landscape: a narrow, tree-lined valley bordered by a stream and punctuated with mature vegetation. The location, formerly a private garden plot, offers deep privacy and a rare ecological density. Rather than flattening the site’s particularities, the design responds through subtraction and negotiation, shaping space around every tree and allowing the topography and the existing vegetation to dictate the orientation and form. The Y-shaped plan emerges as a calibrated response to solar orientation and visual permeability. Each wing subtly avoids the existing trees while dividing the expansive 2,338 m² plot into smaller, intimate gardens. These outdoor “rooms” are not ornamental but spatial continuations of the interior, forming a sequence of landscape moments that support the house’s contemplative intent. The architectural narrative here is one of measured insertion, of making space without domination. Architectural Strategy and Spatial Configuration At the heart of the house lies a central living hall, a capacious yet grounded volume that anchors the three divergent wings. The organization radiates from this communal core. One wing houses the children’s and guest rooms, another the master suite and wellness area, and the third accommodates the entry, storage, and technical spaces. The cruciform-like geometry ensures that each functional zone is autonomous and connected, enabling a coherent domestic flow while maintaining privacy. Circulation is direct and legible, eschewing unnecessary corridors in favor of open transitions that extend outward toward the landscape. Programmatic zoning further reinforces the spatial hierarchy. Noisy and social functions are clustered in the center, while private and meditative spaces taper off into the periphery. The result is an architecture of quiet adjacency, where the interior is continuously in dialogue with the exterior yet never competes with it. Banánka House Materiality and Construction Materially, Banánka asserts itself with raw precision. Board-formed concrete ceilings and walls form the structural and atmospheric backbone of the house. The texture, an imprint of timber shuttering, evokes both permanence and memory, grounding the building in its material origins. This monolithic palette is punctuated by galvanized steel gabion walls filled with crushed stone, further blurring the threshold between architecture and terrain. Timber elements, in thermally modified pine and engineered oak, lend a tactile warmth to the composition, mediating the concrete’s brute strength. The project’s fenestration, ultra-slim framed glazing by KOYA and Otiima, avoids ornament in favor of maximum openness. These sliding elements disappear into wall pockets, dissolving boundaries and allowing for uninterrupted environmental continuity. Even thermal strategies are seamlessly integrated. Kooltherm and PIR insulation boards are concealed behind clean detailing, while Schöck’s Isokorb breaks address structural thermal bridging without visual compromise. The interior, devoid of superfluous décor, is defined by custom-built furniture and integrated storage solutions. The architectural language avoids distraction. Hidden doors, continuous surfaces, and a cohesive palette reinforce an atmosphere of visual calm. Lighting by Eden Design and Vibia and a restrained selection of fixtures by Ceadesign and Agape extend the project’s minimal ethos down to the finest details. Atmosphere, Experience, and Meaning Banánka is not a house that demands attention but rewards observation. It is a house built not for display but for living, emphasizing temporal rhythms and sensory engagement. The melancholic quality of the site, its muted light, rustling leaves, and distant water, finds a counterpoint in the solidity of the architecture. This structure does not compete with its surroundings but holds space for them. Its spatial generosity is not measured in size but in porosity. Each room has a view, a threshold, and a moment of connection. The terrace, with its outdoor kitchen, pond-side dining, and integrated grill, extends the central living space without rupture. The wellness area, complete with a sauna and plunge pool, serves as a domestic ritual space, bridging comfort and nature through proximity to the stream. The name “Banánka,” a local term for a female resident of Banka, anchors the project in place and culture. There is a poetic continuity here. The architecture is distinctly modern but unmistakably rooted in its geographic and linguistic context. Banánka stands as a model of how regionalism can be reinterpreted not through imitation but through intention. Banánka House Plans Site Plan | © Paulíny Hovorka Architects Floor Plan | © Paulíny Hovorka Architects Axonometric View | © Paulíny Hovorka Architects Banánka House Image Gallery About Paulíny Hovorka Architects Paulíny Hovorka Architects is a Slovak architectural studio based in Banská Bystrica, founded by Martin Paulíny and Braňo Hovorka in 1998. The studio is known for its context-sensitive designs that prioritize material honesty, spatial clarity, and sustainable construction. Their work spans residential and commercial projects, focusing on integrating architecture into its natural and urban surroundings through thoughtful concepts and precise detailing. Credits and Additional Notes Lead Architects: Braňo Hovorka, Martin Paulíny Co-author: Natália Galko Michalová Design Team: Veronika Ivanovičová, Lenka Kopfová, Radovan Krajňak Structural Engineer: Pavol Hubinský Landscape Architect: Martin Sučič Gross Floor Area: 300 m² Usable Floor Area: 244 m² Plot Size: 2,338 m² Monolithic Structure Contractor: Texo Group  Windows and Glazed Walls Supplier: KOYA Windows  Bespoke Furniture: DL INTERIER Bathroom and Kitchen Supplier: Design Club  Built-in Grill Supplier: Gargo Furniture and Lighting Supplier: Triform Factory

Banánka House / Pauliny Hovorka ArchitektiSave this picture!© Matej HakárHouses•Banka, Slovakia Architects: Pauliny Hovorka Architekti Area Area of this architecture project Area:  416 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Matej Hakár Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:  Geberit, JUNG, OTIIMA, Schöck, Vibia, Duravit, Agape, Ceadesign, Eden Design, Glas Italia, Kingspan Isoste, LED eco, Napoleon, Regency, USSPA, WaremaMore SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. The Banánka family house responds to its natural surroundings through a raw and honest use of natural materials, a restrained horizontal form, and the clarity of minimalist design. Living here is defined by a seamless connection between the interior and the outdoors, primarily achieved through large glazed walls that stretch along significant portions of the house. This connection can be fully opened by sliding the glass façade between the central living hall, the terrace, and the garden area with a pond—something that's not just a design gesture, but frequently used throughout the extended summer season. This allows the melancholic atmosphere of the rock garden, flowing stream, pond, and tall surrounding trees to flow right into the interior.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The property is located on the outskirts of the village of Banka, in a peaceful, intimate setting at the end of a lush valley. The name "Banánka" refers to a female resident of Banka (with "Banánec" as the male equivalent). The area's relaxed, natural atmosphere stems from its established garden character and the loose, organic pattern of surrounding homes and cottages. The house is accessed via a narrow asphalt road that transitions into a forest path leading further into the valleys of the Považský Inovec mountains. A stream runs along the edge of the property, adjacent to a dense deciduous forest that borders the site both from the access road and from the rear, creating a natural privacy screen and a green backdrop. The valley is relatively narrow along the longer sides of the plot, with the forest rising steeply into the hills beyond. On the shorter sides, neighboring houses are present but obscured from view by thick garden vegetation. The former garden plot offers a rare advantage—deep privacy amidst mature trees and well-established greenery. The brief was to design a single-storey home with a carport, fully connected to the garden. The atmosphere was to be centered on relaxation and contemplation, with a clear separation between the private areas for parents and children. The house also had to be positioned to maximize sunlight in living spaces and preserve every existing tree. The material palette emphasizes natural elements—concrete, stone, wood, and glass—prioritizing durability, longevity, and timelessness. The result is a tranquil retreat immersed in greenery, which embodies the vision behind Banánka.Save this picture!Save this picture!The design solution takes the form of a Y-shaped floor plan, with three wings extending outward at 120-degree angles, carefully positioned to avoid existing trees and divide the plot into smaller garden segments. Each room enjoys its own unique view into a private corner of the garden. The structure is solid and expressive, with brushed board-formed monolithic concrete ceilings, concrete interior walls, and prefabricated parapet panels. The material concept is enhanced by crushed stone encased in galvanized mesh gabions, which flow from the exterior into the interior. These are complemented by wooden cladding, floors, and decking. Windows feature ultra-slim frames and can be fully retracted into wall pockets to maximize the visual and spatial connection with the outdoors. Hidden doors are integrated into cladding and plastered surfaces. The interior, largely free of decorative objects, is defined by custom-built furniture, beds, and a modular sofa that can be reconfigured as needed.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The internal layout follows the three-winged shape of the house, all organized around a central living hall. This setup provides privacy for the main bedroom suite with a wellness area, separated from the children's and guest rooms. The smallest, north-facing wing houses the entrance, storage, and utility rooms, with an extended roof forming both a carport and a covered entryway. The southeast wing contains three smaller bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a multipurpose room used as a study and meditation space. The southwest wing is dedicated to the master suite, featuring a bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe, a spacious bathroom, a WC, and a sauna. The wellness area connects to a smaller terrace with a hot tub and a cooling plunge pool adjacent to the stream.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!At the heart of the home lies the central living hall, combining kitchen, dining, and living areas and serving as a hub connecting both residential wings. One side houses the kitchen, the other the living room, with the dining area in the center. A glass-enclosed wine room, cooled and designed for presentation, forms part of the living area. A fireplace with a massive stone heat-retaining wall anchors the space. Large sliding glass walls allow the hall to fully open onto the covered terrace, merging inside and outside into one. The terrace includes a summer kitchen with a grill and an outdoor dining area oriented toward the garden, pond, and forest beyond.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this office MaterialsGlassConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on May 20, 2025Cite: "Banánka House / Pauliny Hovorka Architekti" 20 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030304/bananka-house-pauliny-hovorka-architekti&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream