This is a semi-detached house located in a dense suburban residential area, north of Tel Aviv and in close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.
The surrounding density calls for an inward-looking house, whereas a view to the sea calls for some openness. Thus, the house is more massive at the bottom and lighter at the top.
Two themes govern the architectural composition. An east-west axis which bisects the house through its entire length, and a patio carved below grade which rises through its center.
The axis links all rooms and extends from the front entry to the rear garden. The patio, viewed from the entry, operates as a light well, as well as an internal room with no roof.
As the sun tracks across the sky, the angle of light shifts, producing an ever-changing pattern along the walls and floors. Additional indirect light penetrates the roof and bounces through three-storey voids located along the axis. It is a house of three floor plans and multiple sections.
The main floor contains living, dining, kitchen, and study.
The upper level, the master and guest bedrooms.
The lower level, the children's bedrooms.
The horizontal and vertical spatial sequence is determined by the relationship between the axis and the patio. Both elongate the visual perspectives within the house far beyond its physical boundaries.
