One house, in full
Rohožník
Bratislava region, Malacky district
- Completed
- 2014
- Floor area
- 169 m²
- Energy class
- Off-grid
- Energy costs
- €12 a month in total
- Year
- 2011
Partner programme · 2026
Become the Talpa House partner for your region.
Premium earth-sheltered houses in watertight monolithic concrete, with 26 already built and lived in. One partner per region in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and Slovenia.
- 26
- homes built and lived in
- 7
- countries opening for regional partners
- DE
- AT
- CH
- IT
- UK
- PL
- SI
- 1
- partner per region
02The proof
Research and development partner
STU Bratislava, Faculty of Civil Engineering
In the press and on air
03The product
A house set into the slope, not on top of it.
The earth does the work: it evens out temperature swings, brings quiet and protection, and lowers running costs.
- 01
A watertight monolithic concrete shell, poured on site, with recycled aggregate. The shell is the waterproofing: there is no membrane to age, tear or replace.
- 02
No load-bearing interior walls. The shell carries everything, so the plan can change over the life of the house.
- 03
A green roof that holds rainwater on the plot.
- 04
A closed water loop: rainwater and used water are cleaned in a reed bed and returned to the roof.
- Calm earth
Measured at one house: soil beside it 8 to 24 °C, air −12 to +35 °C.
- Silence and security
Most walls and the whole roof under earth: quiet inside, protected from the weather.
- Minimal running cost
No heat pump and no ventilation unit to buy, service or replace.
04The business
Your region has plenty of builders of ordinary houses. Nobody there has this.
- 01
A product nobody in your region can copy without the engineering behind it.
- 02
Higher value per project, fewer competing bids, and a clear reason for a client to call you and not the next contractor.
- 03
A fully engineered system you do not have to develop, test or insure alone.
- 04
A niche that grows with every rise in energy prices and every summer heatwave.
People who want energy independence, quiet, security and a home their grandchildren will inherit. They are not price shoppers. They are looking for the one builder who can deliver this, and they will find you.
05What you get, what you bring
You do not start from zero.
Talpa House provides09
- 01The brand and the documented building system
- 02Project templates and the house catalogue
- 03Structural calculations and engineering for every project
- 04Technical supervision of the watertight shell on site
- 05Training for your team, in Slovakia and on your first build
- 06A supplier catalogue for the roof, the water loop and the fit-out
- 07The configurator, the CRM and the client web application
- 08Central marketing and show house visits
- 09Ongoing research and development with STU Bratislava
You provide06
- 01Knowledge of your region and its people
- 02Sales and the client relationship
- 03Build capacity and crews
- 04Capital for regional development
- 05Responsibility for the client and the site
- 06The will to build a long-term local brand
06Who this is for
An established regional construction company, general contractor, developer or architect-builder with its own crews and a track record in quality residential work.
Or an experienced construction manager ready to run a regional business under a proven system.
07DE · AT · CH · IT · UK · PL · SI
One partner per region.
We give one partner exclusivity for a defined region.
- countries opening for regional partners
- homes built and lived in
A Talpa House region has
- 01a healthy or growing population,
- 02a diversified economy,
- 03incomes above the national average,
- 04slopes, views and nature people want to live in.
08The partner year
The first year is not about a contract.
- 01
Visit a built house
Meet the people who live in it.
- 02
Sign an NDA
We open the documentation, the calculations, the numbers and the references.
- 03
Learn the system over the year
Training, consultations on your own sites and enquiries, and time on a live build.
If after a year you decide it is not for you, we part without obligation.
09How a project runs
Who does what, from first call to keys.
- 01
Enquiry
Enquiries come from Talpa House marketing and from the partner's own region.
Talpa House + Partner - 02
Feasibility study for the client's plot
Talpa House engineering and the partner assess the plot together.
Talpa House + Partner - 03
Design and structural engineering
From project templates, adapted to the plot.
Talpa House - 04
Permit
The partner submits locally. Talpa House supplies the technical documentation and permit support.
Talpa House + Partner - 05
Excavation and watertight shell
The partner's crews build. Talpa House supervises the shell on site.
Talpa House + Partner - 06
Green roof, water loop, fit-out
The partner, with the Talpa House supplier catalogue.
Partner - 07
Handover
The keys go to the client. Who contracts with the client is set out in the licence agreement.
Partner
Warranty
The warranty and liability split between the partner and Talpa House is defined in the licence agreement and explained in the information pack.
10Questions
Before the first call.
Is the region exclusive?
We give one partner exclusivity for a defined region.
What if, after the first year, it is not for us?
If after a year you decide it is not for you, we part without obligation.
What happens if the concrete cracks?
It seals itself. The mix contains a crystalline additive that swells on contact with water and closes hairline cracks on its own. Our concrete technologist also adjusts the mix to the weather on the day of the pour, so the shell cures without cracking in the first place.
Isn't an underground house damp?
No. The monolithic watertight shell keeps groundwater out, and passive ventilation keeps the air moving so moisture cannot build up. As in any house, the indoor humidity then depends on ventilation and how the house is used.
Do I need a special permit to build one?
No. There is no special permit, and none is needed: earth-sheltered houses are approved under standard building regulations in every country we work in. The key check is the daylight requirement for habitable rooms, and that is exactly what the feasibility study verifies for your plot before you commit to anything further.
Can I get a mortgage on an underground house?
Yes. Our owners finance their homes with standard mortgages. Because banks see few comparable sales, valuations may come in low, so plan for a slightly larger deposit. We support the process with full documentation, the A0 energy certificate and finished reference houses your valuer can walk round.
What about resale value?
The shell is designed for more than 100 years and there are no load-bearing interior walls, so the whole floor plan can be redesigned even after 50 years. A0 energy class and near-zero running costs are exactly what buyers pay a premium for, and that advantage grows every summer.
11The engineer behind it
Martin Pribila
Founder and structural engineer
A named engineer behind the system, not a faceless brand. Talpa House was founded by Martin Pribila, and every house it builds is designed and engineered by his team.
Meet the team