A courtyard divides this house that Pitsou Kedem Architects has built in the Savyon district of Israel, but elevated walkways and ramps connect the two sides.
The two-storey Split House is fronted by gridded wooden screens, which allows dappled light to animate the 125-square-metre courtyard at the centre of the building.
Described by the architects as the “heart” of the structure, it splits the house into two distinct sections, which are connected via link bridges.
“The sunken yard – usually meant to allow light into a basement floor and often placed at the fringes of the plot – is this house’s central motif,” explained the architecture studio.
The “split” caused by this yard separates the majority of bedroom spaces, which face the street, from the living area and master bedroom overlooking the backyard with a vast panoramic window.
A stair leads down to the lower level of the yard, which is landscaped with gravel and plants that climb up to the ground floor level.
Externally, the form of the house is a white-plastered box, with four-metre-deep reveals forming long terrace spaces.
The distinctive grid panelling formed by wooden planks covers all of the public-facing elevations of the home, concealing windows, entrances and areas of shading created by tilting sections.
This motif is continued throughout the project. The yard is enclosed by a grid of white panels, both above and where it is overlooked by the house at either side.
A section of wall facing the road features perforations in a similar pattern.
Internally, this layering of gridded sections creates a series of dynamic views through the house, as well as casting a pattern of light that moves across the rooms throughout the day.
In the more private side of the house, a thin, light-filled corridor acts as a buffer between the yard and the children’s bedroom spaces.
Glass screens allow for a further division of spaces, such as in the living area where a series of tall translucent panels can be rotated to close off the kitchen.
At the rear of the house, sliding glazing allows the master bedroom and living area to be almost completely opened to the garden, where a thin pool sits surrounded by grass.
Interiors have been kept white to maximise light in the spaces, with pale wooden fittings and a concrete floor.
Pitsou Kedem Archietcts has previously designed another home in Savyon that is surrounded by wide pergolas that create a strong link with the surrounding garden.
Photography is by Amit Geron.
Project credits:
Design team: Tamar Berger and Pitsou Kedem
Lead architect: Tamar Berger
Lighting design: Orly Avron Alkabes
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