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Architects: Uri Cohen Architects
- Area: 180 m²
- Year: 2010
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Photographs:David Adika
Text description provided by the architects. Beam house, Arbel (Israel)
This home has been designed for a client who wished to build his home next to his farm. The size of the site is 1.25 acres and is located in the rustic rural landscape of northern Israel. The design combines some of the utilitarian images of the agriculture buildings in that area, with the fascination with the ‘beam’ construction typical of a ‘country home’. The inspiration is translated to the defining lines and materials of the house as well as to the openings and views that extend from it.
The house is divided into three parallel strips: private, semi private and public. By doing so, there is a possibility to have one main living section full of the northern light, while extending the backyard and the surrounding views into the public space. The private southern section is closed by concrete walls enhancing the feeling of privacy.
Between the public and semi public spaces stands a thick wall which contains the utilities such as the air conditioning system, storage spaces, toilets, etc. Linear skylights divide the programmatic sections of the home, while highlighting the crossing structural beams of the house.
The beams of the roof rest on that ‘central concrete wall’ and serve as cantilevers to the linear roof of the living area. This keeps the northern glass façade free of columns. The circular external lines affect the interior design creating a resting bench in the living room and unique lines in the windows and walls of the private spaces.
The concrete lines extend beyond the house allowing an external breakfast area overlooking the family's farm views. The area between the private and public area of the house provides for a shaded ‘outside public space’ which is also the entrance axis for the house.
