L-shaped home in israel opens up into a generous lush garden

an L-shaped home by Israelevits Architects

Israelevits Architects has completed a modern ‘Egological house‘ in the northern part of Israel, for a family that wishes for tranquility and interaction. The clients asked for a relaxing and welcoming environment that enables the members to spend quality time together yet come closer to nature.

Thus, the design prioritizes openness, embracing the surrounding green, all the while maintaining a sense of privacy. To achieve both requirements, the design team took advantage of the flat terrain and opted for an L-shaped structure that adopts an introverted character and opens up into a generous garden.

all images by Israelevits Architects

forming the feeling of surprise 

Through ‘Egological house’, the architects (see more here) aimed to provoke an element of surprise and curiosity. This feeling is translated into a spatial layout that is gradually revealed. From the outside, passers-by have no visual contact with the inside, except with the front facade that takes shape as a grille wall and hides what occurs behind it. Once entering the property, the inhabitants or visitors encounter an ample garden seen through the house. Subsequently, as one wanders, more elements are uncovered creating a welcoming space that seeks to dilute the limit between interior and exterior.

This dynamic silhouette takes over an area of 500sqm with its two perpendicular wings separating the uses. The first includes the common spaces, while the second accommodates the private areas. Although the structure is exposed to the natural elements — letting plenty of daylight and ventilation flow through the interior — it simultaneously forms an intimate and protected ambiance for relaxation and reflection. 

The large lush courtyard encircled by the structure acts as a natural buffer and forms an inviting play on space and dimension. Besides, the property includes a tennis court, a pool, and an orchard and a fruit garden integrated into their natural surroundings. Though most areas have a visual connection with the external space, the architects incorporated patios and various small gardens within the structure to enhance the experience with unexpected pops of nature. 

following an eco-friendly approach

For this project, Israelevits Architects sought to apply some eco-conscious solutions to reduce electricity consumption. For example, in order to place the shading pergolas, they first took into account the solar position from sunrise to sunset. When it comes to the material palette, they opted for natural construction materials, which in combination with concrete, iron, and glass, develop a clean and elegant look.

The front facades of the house feature a precise geometrical design. The dominant materials are concrete, glass and teak wood grills which break the massive look of black steel columns and concrete. With this gesture, they sought to create a colorful contrast and a characteristic rhythm that balance the overall structure volume. Besides, the steel columns and concrete are used to separate a grille pergola, which adds an additional visual element and lightens up the massive structure.

project info:

name: Ecological house

designer: Israelevits Architects

design team: Dan & Hila Israelevitz

gross built area: 500 sqm

location: Israel

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edited by: christina petridou | designboom