CONTEMPORARY

CALCULATION

VILLA in israel: A CALL TO COEXISTENCE

Originally a cooperative kibbutz, the villa grounds borders the Arab town of Abu Ghosh where remains of historic Bible establishments have been unearthed. ‘the house sits on the border of the two cities, Arab and Jewish, and as such, it creates a border that has a statement that must respect the place, the neighbors, and that calls for coexistence‘, explains architect dana oberson.

the unrefined natural stone on the facade is inspired by the local agricultural terraces of neve ilan

create balance and integration with the historical context

the entrance facade is composed of a single level which blends into the view and reflects the balance and integration into the environment. ” the choice of material came from the observation of the rough stone which builds the agricultural terraces of neve ilan,“explains Oberson.

‘we loved how the layers of history are evident in the stone. we wanted to tell a story of identity and context through a structure in which this stone is an important part. these rough stone slabs flow from the outside into the interior spaces of the house and connect them ”. you can see more of the architect’s projects here.

a light and soft glass fireplace acts as a double space within the villa

placed between two stone volumes, a light and soft glass fireplace creates a double space and reveals a spectacular view of the terraces and the forest. on the top floor of the glass foyer, an internal bridge connects the master bedroom to other spaces within this same floor.

complementing the transparent entrance to the house is a selection of exposed and raw materials. brutal concrete ceilings; brushed oak and burnt-look upholstery in the kitchen and fireplaces; natural iron in the staircase, the living room library, and local rough stone. in addition, a black basalt floor connects the interior with the exterior, another local material that has been mined, stacked and given a new interpretation as the floor of the house.

a concrete bridge connects the master bedroom to other spaces on the same floor

merging with the terraces, the horizon and the sky

the contemporary stone villa in israel is complemented by an outdoor terrace and an infinity pool that blends in with the agricultural terraces, the horizon and the sky. ‘when developing the landscape, it was important for us to avoid fences and railings to assimilate into the landscape. due to the location of the house, at the edge, we thought it might act as a seam rather than a dividing border, ‘ comments oberson.

this challenge was repeated in the design of the balustrades between the two levels of the house. “Unlike a continuous balustrade that connects two points and creates a border, we designed a balustrade from random-looking flat iron pillars, which serve as the basis for the growth of climbing plants and thus integrate as much as possible to the landscape ”.

natural black iron staircase

the kitchen extends onto an unobstructed view of the hillside landscape and the garden patio