axelrod architects + pistou kedem: light-catching afeka house

israeli firm axelrod architects has collaborated with pitsou kedem architects to complete afeka house, a light-harnessing tel aviv dwelling sporting crisp white planes and slivers of glazing. the mass of the form appears different from various vantage points; a street view shows a consolidated volume with a discreet aperture, while a courtyard perspective reveals a lateral, almost miesian hovering plane that wraps around the side of the structure and creates a top-lvel overhang.

image © amit geron / all images courtesy pitsou kedem architects

spaces of movement in the home are offset from the principal cube and fitted with a ribbon of glazing. the effect is the introduction of the sky as part of the building’s tectonic palette. the pointed absence of color and expert use of translucent materials articulate an architecture that acts as a device for capturing and choreographing diffused light. 

(left): view of the offset plane that contains a staircase and hall
(right): a glazed corridor separates the living room from the outdoors
image © amit geron

floors, walls and ceilings are rendered lightweight volumes
image © amit geron

view of the open-plan living room, kitchen and dining space
image © amit geron

(left): circulation is contained in tall offset spaces
(right): living and dining areas open to the pool and terrace
image © amit geron

interiors are extended with a whitewashed wood terrace
image © amit geron

circulation is treated as a potential space to connect to the sky and filter light
image © amit geron

image © amit geron

the spatial reach of the home is extended in a reflective pool
image © amit geron

project info:

location: tel aviv
architecture: pitsou kedem architects & irit axelrod architects
design team: pitsou kedem, irit axelrod, raz melamed, orit tsabari-elmaliach
total floor area: 350m2
site area:500
program: single family house

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