RAMAT HASHARON HOUSE 13 BY PITSOU KEDEM

An Israeli residence that carefully balances privacy and openness

Architecture sometimes is really about making the best of a bad situation. The Ramat Hasharon House 13 is situated in the Israeli countryside, in between the courtyards of two other houses. The constraint here was to maximize the space left amid the courtyards, while protecting the new house from prying eyes. Pitsou Kedem decided to cut right to the chase by drawing this massive concrete mass. Widely opened in the front and the back, thus allowing the house to be flooded with natural light, and closed on the two other sides, letting only a few beams of light come through, this cubic House 13 managed to blend into its surrounding. Kedem demonstrated what architecture is all about: transforming a geographical weakness into an architectural strength.