A Concrete Home Rooted in Nature: Banánka by Paulíny Hovorka Architects

Introduction

Set in the rugged landscape of Slovakia’s forested valleys, Banánka by Paulíny Hovorka Architects redefines what a contemporary concrete home can be. Named after the local term for a woman from the nearby village of Banka, this residence is more than just a house—it’s a carefully composed response to its natural environment. Perched at the end of a craggy valley and surrounded by forest, the home embraces its sloping terrain, integrating elements like a green roof, gabion stone walls, and open-air terraces.

The project is designed with sensitivity to existing trees and the topography of the site, making it feel embedded in the land rather than imposed on it. Through its Y-shaped plan, exposed concrete textures, and clever spatial organization, Banánka is a home that bridges robust materiality with ecological nuance. This is not just a concrete home—it is a nature-immersed retreat designed for living with the land.

A Home Shaped by the Land

Navigating Natural Topography with a Y-Plan

Banánka employs a Y-shaped floor plan that adapts to the contours of the land while preserving mature trees. This strategic layout divides the house into three wings: one for the entrance and parking, and two for the primary and guest bedrooms. These arms extend around a central, fully glazed living area that opens out to the surrounding rock garden and stream-fed forest.

Gabion Walls and Exposed Concrete: Earthbound Materiality

The house’s identity is defined by gabion walls filled with crushed local stone and board-formed exposed concrete. These surfaces anchor the house visually and thermally, while creating a harmonious dialogue with the stone-dotted garden around it. The gabions also appear in the interior, forming a dramatic backdrop to the central fireplace, contributing both texture and thermal mass.

Daylight, Views, and Spatial Fluidity

Every space within Banánka benefits from full-height glazing, inviting daylight and framing curated views of the valley and garden. Private rooms are divided using a mix of frosted glass, timber joinery, and cast-in-place concrete walls, creating a spatial experience that is at once open and defined. Sliding doors in the main living area connect directly to an expansive timber deck with a summer kitchen, seamlessly blending inside and outside.

Table: Project Overview – Banánka Residence

Table: Spatial Organization

Table: Key Material Choices and Reasoning

Architectural Analysis

The logic of Banánka’s design stems from site-specific integration. By organizing the plan into three arms, the architects preserved topography and mature vegetation while achieving spatial clarity. The gabion stone walls blur boundaries between interior and exterior, grounding the building in the site’s material language.

The concrete detailing, particularly the board-formed finishes, enhances the raw, tactile feel of the house, countered by soft timber paneling and controlled daylight. The structural canopy above the parking area reveals a keen sensitivity to slope and rhythm, echoing the angles of nearby trees.

In essence, the architectural form arises from restraint and topographic fluency—a true dialogue between structure and setting.

Project Importance

As both a contemporary design and a functional rural home, Banánka offers lessons in architectural humility and sustainability. It teaches architects the value of adapting to the land rather than reshaping it. The building resists overstatement; its beauty lies in the honest expression of materials and the seamless relationship to context.

For designers, the house reinforces the importance of durability, thermal mass, and regional language in shaping long-lived, climate-responsive structures. Its subtle details—such as the frosted glass partitions, timber deck walkway, and the integration of a wisteria tree into the terrace—are quiet innovations that reshape domestic typologies around nature.

This project matters now more than ever. As architects globally navigate climate uncertainty, Banánka reminds us that concrete homes can be ecologically sensitive and aesthetically graceful when rooted in place.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

Banánka presents a robust architectural identity shaped by its rock-filled landscape. The interplay of gabion walls, raw concrete, and floor-to-ceiling glass results in spaces that are earthy and open, with the Y-plan allowing optimal light and views from every room. However, one might question the long-term thermal performance of so much exposed concrete in a rural climate—does its visual weight risk environmental inefficiency without advanced passive strategies? Yet, the home compensates by integrating green roofs, gardens, and a pond system, elevating it beyond mere aesthetics. Ultimately, Banánka is a standout example of rural minimalism meeting functional design clarity.

Conclusion

At a time when many homes seek to dominate their sites, Banánka chooses instead to inhabit its environment with deference and tactility. The use of concrete and gabion stone not only anchors the home visually but also ensures longevity, low maintenance, and thermal regulation. Its Y-shaped layout is a clever spatial move that enhances privacy, daylight, and views without compromising the integrity of the forested valley.

Moreover, the project reflects a broader design philosophy rooted in integration over imposition. Whether through its open terrace wrapped in timber or its green roof, Banánka demonstrates that even a concrete home can breathe, adapt, and flourish within nature’s rhythms.

This home is not just a building; it is an invitation to live with the land, not merely on it. In doing so, Paulíny Hovorka Architects have created a lasting architectural lesson in humility, material honesty, and contextual intelligence.

Explore the Latest Architecture Exhibitions & Conferences

ArchUp offers daily updates on top global architectural exhibitions, design conferences, and professional art and design forums.
Follow key architecture competitions, check official results, and stay informed through the latest architectural news worldwide.
ArchUp is your encyclopedic hub for discovering events and design-driven opportunities across the globe.