Dana Oberson Architects Studio has been shortlisted for Residential Architectural Property Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2022.

Sitting on the edge of two towns, this new project by Dana Oberson Architects Studio stands as a symbol of balance. The location and context of the contemporary stone villa became a significant aspect to the materiality of the design. Built on a gentle slope overlooking the Neve Ilan forest, the lowland, and the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon to the west, the property was originally a cooperative kibbutz founded with the establishment of the state of Israel. The plot also borders the Arab town of Abu Ghosh, where remains of historic biblical settlements have been discovered.

Its positioning, history, and context was a central influence on the architecture of the house. “The choice of material came from observing at the unrefined stone that builds the agricultural terraces of Neve Ilan,” says Dana Oberson, Chief Architect and founder of Dana Oberson Architects Studio. “We loved how the layers of history are evident in the stone. The architects, therefore, wanted to tell a story of identity and context through a structure in which this stone is a significant part.” These unrefined stone slabs now flow from the outside of the property into the interior spaces of the house to connect them. The selected materials are exposed and rough; Brutal concrete ceilings, brushed and burnt-looking oak cladding in the kitchen and foyers, natural iron in the staircase and the living room library, and the local unrefined stone. Black basalt also connects the interior to the exterior, as yet another local material that was mined and given a new interpretation as the floor of the house.

A light and open glass foyer is positioned between two stone structures, producing a moment for pause in a more spacious environment. The transparent entrance to the house reveals a dramatic view of the close-by terraces and the forest. On the top floor of the glass foyer, an internal bridge connects the master bedroom and the other bedrooms. Due to the house location, the architects had to carefully consider their use of railings within the landscape, as they thought the house should act as a seam rather than a dividing border. The house ends in an outdoor terrace and an infinity pool that blends with agricultural terraces, horizon, and sky. They avoided fences and railings for the exterior, and this concept extended into the interior design, with the two floors connected by a ‘railing’ designed from random-looking flat iron pillars, which serve as a basis for the growth of climbing plants and thus integrate maximally with the landscape.

The house sits on the edge of two towns, Arab and Jewish, meaning that the structure is an emblem of this boundary. Dana Oberson Architects Studio wanted the property to become a statement of respect for the place and the neighbours, which calls for coexistence rather than division. It speaks of balance and integration into the environment, and where possible the architects have entwined the property with its location to represent this.

Dana Oberson Architects Studio

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