israel nottes architects designs L-shaped house centered around pool

israel nottes architects designs L-shaped house and centers it around pool
all images courtesy of omri amsalem

in the vicinity of the old roman city of caesarea in israel, israel nottes architects have plotted ‘house n’ along one of the biggest golf courses in the city and just a few minutes walk from the seaside and the roman ruins. the design of the house was centered around two main points: the first being the pool as the main focal element and the second was to allow the entrance of natural light and wind to its fullest.

the pool is the main focal point of the design and can be seeing from many parts of the house

to make the pool the main element of the design, an L-shape plan was conceived, creating a big open space on the ground floor, hosting the main functions of the house, yet with a distinct hierarchy and a clear view and access to the pool. the second point was was achieved by positioning the house facing the south-west side, giving it the possibility to enjoy long hours of direct natural sunlight as well as ventilation thanks to the wind coming from the sea. the big windows along the south side allow ray of light to enter the house and naturally heat it in the winter, whereas during the summer, when it is very hot, the concrete pergola blocks the sun from entering the house and overheating it.

the main staircase gives a continuous flow to the house, having the kitchen to the right and dinning area left

the color scheme for the house was derived from the spur-winged lapwing bird, one of israel’s most common and elegant birds. the brown, grey, black and white pallet was used in every room of the house with different ratios and combinations. each color was assigned to an specific material: wood, concrete, metal and stucco.

by positioning the house facing the south-west, long hours of natural light can be enjoyed

enclosed between two sides of the house and in clear view, the pool consists of two parts that fade into each other, one is a deep area for swimming and the second is a long shallow extension of the pool which turns to a waterfall as part of the house’s exterior fence. placed at the center of it, there are two concrete cast pots for water plants to grow and provide shade and comfort from the sun.

the big windows along the south side allow ray of light to enter the house

the color scheme for the house was derived from the spur-winged lapwing bird

the color scheme can be seen through the use of materials: wood, concrete, metal and stucco

the pool consists of two parts that fade into each other: a deep area for swimming and a waterfall

natural ventilation comes from the wind of the sea

the ‘n house’ is in the vicinity of the old roman city of caesarea in israel

during the night the house is perfectly illuminated guiding the visitors to the entrance

project info:

name: house n
location: caesarea, israel
area: 650 m2
built: 350 m2
architect: Israel Nottes Architects
project year: 2012-2014
photography: omri amsalem

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edited by: juliana neira | designboom