Built

Rohožník

The first self-sufficient Talpa House. You barely see it as you arrive, and the garden on its roof grows about two months of food a year.

Earth-sheltered house in Rohoznik with cream front wall between grassy gabion-walled mounds and a parked car

Self-sufficient since 2022.

169 m² on a steep slope.

4 roomsliving room with kitchen2 bathroomsgaragehobby roomtechnical room

Rohožník · built 2011–2014

From 510 000 €

Earth-sheltered house in Rohožník, curved white facade, door 22, solar panels and grassy roof edge

From class B to €12 a month.

The house was originally certified in energy class B. With photovoltaics added in 2021–2022 it has been self-sufficient since 2022, with monthly costs of €12. This pays off above all where the mains are more than 120 m from the plot.

  • €12 / month (water)
  • Off-grid
  • 169 m²
  • 2011–2014

It makes its own energy.

Earth-sheltered house in Rohožník with curved white facade set into a grassy slope, gabion walls flanking it

Steep slope, two storeys.

The steep plot called for a two-storey house. The back and the roof are under earth; only the front is open. As you drive up, you barely see the house.

  • Sloping plot

    The house is set into the slope. A plot that is a problem for an ordinary building is an advantage here.

  • Photovoltaics

    Panels on the roof or on the plot cover part of the annual consumption of the house.

  • Green roof

    The roof surface is alive. It holds back rainwater, cools itself by evaporation and gives the plot back the area the house took.

  • Earth coverThe house is covered by a layer of soil that insulates it, damps temperature swings and protects the shell from sun and frost.
  • Invisible from public spaceFrom the road you see the terrain, not the house.
  • GarageSet into the ground or covered with earth, the same as the house.
  • TerraceA covered or open area adjoining the living space.
  • Timber interior surfacesWood on the walls, ceilings or floors, as a counterweight to the concrete.
Living room of the earth-sheltered house in Rohoznik, full glass wall opening to lawn and terrace

A living room with a wall of glass.

The living room has a glazed wall onto the terrace and the lawn in front of the house. A level area was made on the steep slope in front of the house, so there is a lawn for a lounger or a blanket.

Four rooms, two bathrooms.

The house has four rooms and two bathrooms over two floors. A ground-floor room opens through a tall glazed door straight into the garden.

Bedroom of the earth-sheltered house in Rohožník, with a glazed door onto the roof garden beside the bed
Bathroom in the earth-sheltered house in Rohoznik, with ochre wall toilet alcove, wood vanity and washing machine
Bedroom of the earth-sheltered house in Rohožník with a sloped window, wooden bed and orange floral duvets
Bedroom

Two months of food from the roof.

The garden on the roof produces food for about two months a year. On a small plot, that is a lot.

It makes no sense to me to build on a field or a meadow. I would rather be on a hillside, with a better view and more privacy from the neighbours.

Martin, owner

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