eHouse

Tel Aviv, Israel – Axelrod Architects

Built Area:     500.0 m2
Photographs:    Amit Geron

eHouse is a modern home that reflects Mediterranean design. The minimalist house receives ample sunlight, eliminating the need for artificial lighting during the day. It’s made of concrete, arranged in geometric shapes, lines, and planes. It provides structural support to other materials used in the house, predominantly glass and dry wall.

Despite the heavy concrete, eHouse appears to be light and almost floating. Walls and ceilings are done in white with the dark gray floors providing a striking contrast. The outside is masterfully landscaped, providing pockets of refreshing greens against the hard materiality of the façade.

This six-bedroom house exemplifies generosity of space, made bigger by the abundance of light. Its thoughtful design skilfully combines comfortable living in a minimalist theme.

Notes from the Architect:

eHouse is a single family house that borrows from two traditions in architecture – a Mediterranean aesthetic of sun and light and a minimalist discipline of line and plane.

The design exhibits a masterful use of that most modern of materials, concrete. The core of the house, both conceptually and structurally, is several vertical and horizontal planes. Conceptually, the vertical planes define the axes of the house and the horizontal planes the spatial volume. Structurally, the concrete elements support every other architectural surface, predominantly glass and drywall.

The extensive use of glass allows that most Mediterranean element, sunlight, to permeate into every room. Whether, direct, indirect, or filtered, light fills this house. Many smaller glazed areas reveal hidden views of exterior garden. A large 14 meter expanse of glass floods the main living/dining/kitchen area with daylight. The entire 14 meter window system can even be rolled back to create one super room of indoor and outdoor space.

In plan, the house is defined by two axes; one running lengthwise through the main living space and one perpendicular from the main entrance to the staircase. The longitudinal axis is reflected in the roof plane with a long skylight that runs the entire length of the house. The transverse axis is punctuated with a dramatic front entrance of horizontal wooden slats and cantilevered canopy.

The private sector of the house contains six bedroom/studies. The master bedroom, half a flight above the main level, appears to float above the rest of the house. Its cantilevered floor slab with a meter of vertical glass beneath it completes the illusion of lightness. Three children’s bedrooms are on the main level and two guest/ study rooms are placed on the lowest level.

The site is masterfully landscaped and includes several decks and a reflecting pool. Because the site is comprised of two standard Tel Aviv lots, extensive outdoor space was available for these site amenities. The placement of fenestration within the house makes full use of the views to the outside and creates interior view corridors at every turn.

The large floor plan of 500 square meters (5,000 square feet) gave expression to a flowing main level with ample opportunity for outdoor living. The beauty of the eHouse is the marriage of livability and minimalist/Mediterranean design sense.

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Exterior Views:

Interior Views:

Drawing Views:

For other interesting architectural designs, check out the InOut House in Brazil…