stone volumetry and checkered perforations articulate this minimalist house in israel

Architect Shira Ben Ezra has completed the design of a single-family home in Galilee, Israel. The residence showcases a minimalist aesthetic, taking shape as a robust stone structure, topped by a white volume with a perforated checkered pattern. Focusing on openness, the residence generates a spacious living environment with a fluid configuration, while a series of expansive windows offer panoramic views of the untouched natural surroundings. 

The project puts great importance on creating spaces where occupants are able to maintain eye contact. ‘It was important for me to preserve the open view from the street, all the way to the horizon line beyond the garden, while guiding the gaze between the built-up areas.’ Shira Ben Ezra explains. 

all images by Shai Epstein courtesy of Cochav Aluminum

entering the house

Upon approaching the residence, occupants meet the front door on a patio located on the side of the project. On the street side, the patio is bordered by a light metal fence and pivot-hinged gate, decorated with an airy, laser-cut pattern. After entering, one finds the living room, which features panoramic windows with a minimalist aluminum profile system.

The entrance area was planned as part of a vaulted space, creating a feeling of spaciousness, and opens onto the south-facing living room, with its 8-meter wide and 2.8-meter tall windows facing the back garden. The furnishings’ clean lines and natural colors blend beautifully with the decor of the house itself, which has stone-covered walls, concrete floors, and wood trimming. 

upper floor with private rooms

Wood-faced stairs lead to the upper story of the house, with the first three stairs seemingly hovering in the air. This story accommodates the family room and bedrooms, all of them floored with parquet. The bedrooms are in the southern part of the house, facing the landscape. The northern part of this floor has the laundry room, bathrooms and the veranda.

A wall of decorative concrete screens afford privacy from the street, provide shade, and a play of light and shadow on the floor of the entranceway. The colors of the master bedroom range from very pale tones to shades of wood. The wooden base for the bed was inspired by Japanese designs and has minimalist-style drawers on both sides. One wall of the room is a built-in closet with wooden doors that preserves the overall décor of clean lines. The bathroom walls are faced with natural travertine, establishing a powerful presence, which is still refined and non-domineering. 

veranda and outdoor areas

The veranda of the house is located right above the back garden and it takes shape as a strategic element in the architectural design. From the veranda, one can see the Galilee hills, with their comforting stillness and quiet.

The living room leads onto a large deck in the back garden, with custom-made furnishings designed by the architect himself. The deck is bordered by the garden, creating an inviting and relaxing look. The spacious living room windows face the deck and the garden, and the minimalist profiles provide a sense of a single large open space, with the outside and inside merging in perfect harmony, even as they retain their separate identities. In order to blur the boundaries of the inside and outside, the facings on the interior walls and ceilings are duplicated outside, accentuating the overall character of the design.

1/4

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: Panoramic Minimalist

architect: Shira Ben Ezra

location: Moshav Achihud, Galilee, Israel

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom