Timber House in Orava, Slovakia

The owner knew from the start he wanted something timeless. A modern timber building in the Orava region with a slatted facade and two cubic volumes, set into a hillside with mountain views — this was a brief where architecture and technology had to work hand in hand. The priorities were design and energy savings. TapHome controls the entire 300 m² building.

35 Lighting Scenes

LED strips in wall niches, spotlights on concrete ceilings, up/down wall lights on CLT timber walls — lighting creates the atmosphere throughout the building. Thirty-five programmed scenes cover both daytime and evening settings. The 8 DIM and 12 LED/OC modules with a 600W Mean Well power supply drive the entire lighting system.

The staircase with scene lighting is one of the most striking elements — TapHome animates it with sequentially lit steps. Lighting scenes change with a single touch on the wall panel or automatically based on the time of day. Even details like the LED accent under the desk have their own scenes and shift intensity based on mode.

Climate and Energy

Twelve heating zones with hydronic underfloor heating and a Viessmann boiler ensure thermal comfort throughout the building. Four cooling zones complement the system in summer. A fireplace supplements the heating system — TapHome monitors its temperature and activates a circulation pump that distributes the heat into the underfloor heating. A safety overflow valve and auxiliary cooling operate independently. A weather station on the roof provides temperature, wind and light data — six motorized blinds automatically adjust to the weather via a personalized scheduler.

A rooftop photovoltaic system reduces operating costs. Energy surplus is used to heat the pool water — TapHome controls water flow based on solar irradiance, while chemistry is managed by external technology.

Ventilation and Heat Recovery

The Stiebel Eltron ventilation system works on a controlled negative pressure principle — it extracts stale air from the building and uses its thermal energy to heat domestic hot water. The resulting negative pressure is balanced by passive air inlets that supply fresh air into the building. TapHome controls ventilation intensity via a 0–10 V analogue output depending on the mode: home, away, sleep or party. Each mode has its own fan speed setting — from a quiet night-time minimum to maximum output when more people are present.

Pool, Sauna and 15 Windows

The sauna features a full replacement of the Harvia control system — TapHome has completely taken over temperature regulation and operation. Fifteen automated windows, six flood sensors and gate control with access management complete the building’s security perimeter. An Akuvox video intercom is integrated directly into TapHome — in addition to its own Akuvox app, it can also be controlled via TapHome.

The water pump automatically shuts off when the security system is armed and during the night. Pressure monitoring is handled independently by the pump itself.

A Fonestar WA225W audio system covers six zones throughout the building.

Switchboard and Modules

A single TapHome Core runs the entire installation. The DIN-rail switchboard houses five 24UI modules, six 12DO, one combined 12DO/12UI, 8 DIM for dimming, 12 LED/OC for PWM LED strip control, and 25 relays. Eight compact 2DI2DO modules extend lighting control to additional zones in the building — reducing cabling requirements in more remote parts of the structure. A 19" server rack for network infrastructure stands alongside.

“We are very happy with TapHome — this technology is what truly makes the building modern.”

— Building owner