SKEN

The uniquely shaped family house with a wooden façade is surrounded by a magical atmosphere created by the forest, which offers stunning views from its living room and garden terrace.

The Trigon family house is located on the outskirts of the village Badín, near the southern suburbs of Banská Bystrica. This area lies on the southwestern edge of the Kremnica Hills, in a peaceful part of the village that exudes a natural charm and bears little resemblance to an urbanized zone. The relatively large plot slopes southwestward, rising from its lowest point at the entrance and driveway up to the garden area, ascending towards a dense mixed forest. This forest, directly adjoining the garden section of the property, was considered a key asset of the location during the design process, and we aimed to make the most of it. The trees provide the residential part of the house with a dynamic and ever-changing backdrop, while also ensuring privacy for the summer living terrace ...

The family house is set into the sloping terrain along the contour lines to minimize earthworks and maximize the size of the garden. This positioning, combined with the specific shape of the terrain, gives the house its distinctive angular form, resembling the legs of a triangle. The home is designed for a family of four. To meet the requirement for a comfortable single-story living space on a sloped site, the design incorporates a main single-story residential level, supported by a smaller entry-level basement housing a garage and technical facilities. The entrance to the house is located on the street-facing side of the basement. The entryway and garage access are integrated under the mass of the residential floor, sheltered in a recessed niche formed by carving into the basic volume of the basement. This recess repeats on the upper floor, creating a sheltered exit to the terrace. In addition to the garage and entry vestibule, the basement contains essential technical and storage rooms.

Directly behind the main entrance, a staircase leads upward to the core of the living space. Natural light streaming in from the large glazed walls of the living room above illuminates the entry niche, guiding visitors into the house. Upon ascending to the residential level, one enters the main living area, which comprises a living room, kitchen, and dining nook. This space opens up to panoramic views of the nearby forest. All glazed walls on this level face the forest, further emphasized by the upward slope of the pitched roof in that direction. The night zones of the house are positioned on either side of the living area. The master bedroom, located in the northern wing, includes an en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. On the opposite side of the living room, a wider hallway—also suitable as a children’s play area—leads to two children’s bedrooms and a study. This section of the house includes another bathroom, a WC, and a specialized entry hygiene station for dogs. The living area and hallway to the children’s rooms have direct access to the garden and terrace. The windows of the children’s rooms, the master bedroom, and one window from the living room near the kitchen face southeast, providing visibility of the street.

The architectural design emphasizes harmony with the surrounding natural environment. The ventilated double-skin façades are clad in raw wooden paneling, which ages naturally over time. A green roof, strikingly visible from the street, enhances the structure’s connection to nature. This unconventional feature is implemented on the pitched roof. The house’s materiality and design express its integration with the forest and the traditional rural setting it occupies, striving to blend harmoniously into its environment.

Authors: Braňo Hovorka, Martin Paulíny
Location: Badín
Design, project: 2012 - 2015
Construction: 2015 - 2018