Glass, Iroko timber and Dekton for a façade with a lot of character

With the aim of blurring the boundaries between inside and outside and letting nature and the landscape flood the spaces of this villa in Haifa, Israel, the designers of Faibish Architects created a façade with large openings. “The brief for the project was to create a two-storey house around a large outdoor area with a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen and lounge. Most areas of the house, such as the living room, work areas, guest rooms and master bedroom, have direct access to this outdoor area”, say the architects.

The openings feature glass panels with large, slender frames, allowing natural light to flood in and making the outdoor space appear part of the indoors. This area, facing south, is shaded during the summer and receives plenty of sunlight in winter, providing optimal climate control. In addition to glass, two other materials have been used for this welcoming and contemporary façade, offering the perfect characteristics to protect the building in a sustainable way: the slabs in Dekton Domoos, by Cosentino, and the thermally modified Iroko battens, supplied by Nova Wood Ltd, give the house a spectacular envelope.

The upper floor (which houses the main common area) is clad with beautiful black panels in Dekton Domoos, which have been used in combination with Iroko battens. This floor is, literally, ‘mounted’ on the lower level, which is clad with wild grey stone of different sizes, brought especially from Greece for the project. “Together, they create an interesting contrast and an exceptional mix in the form of a clean, modern and contemporary black cube, set on a natural and wild base”, the studio says.

The deep shade of Domoos highlights the clean look of the design, adding sobriety and elegance. “For us, it was important to differentiate the two floors by choosing materials that are very different in character, texture and colour, but in perfect harmony with each other”, they say. In addition, the beam supporting the large pergola covering the outdoor lounge, which is over 16 metres, was also clad, thus creating a clear connection with the cladding of the façades.