A Modernist Haven

Inspired by the 19th-century farmhouse, this one-storey landed property in Israel is a minimalist dream come true. ASIH JENIE finds out more.

- Asih Jenie

Located at the strip of coastal plain close to the Mediterranean Sea, this home in Israel by Henkin Shavit Design Studio is a sleek, modernist take of the traditional 19th-century farmhouse. The single-storey, 375 sq m home sits on a 0.5-acre plot of land (approximately 2,023 sq m). Architects Irit Henkin and Zohar Shavit, who founded their eponymous studio in 2005, took inspiration from the surrounding farms for the design of the house.

The traditional coastal Mediterranean farm comprises a constellation of residential buildings inhabited by landlords and their employees. Scattered throughout the farmland, these buildings feature diverse styles and materials depending on the importance. The house is home to a couple and their two adult daughters; each family member needs a private space to retreat, as well as communal areas for quality time together. Irit and Zohar catered to this brief by creating a home that comprises three parts: two rectangular main volumes connected by a strip of lighter structure dubbed as ‘the shed’.