The Monolight House is located in one of the oldest villages in the Jezreel Valley, in northern Israel. The area is characterized by expansive green fields that appear like a verdant carpet from above, surrounded by mountain ridges. The house was built as part of the village’s expansion, adjoining the longstanding family farm where generations of the family have resided. The house was designed by the architect for herself and her family, in the village where she was born and raised, returning after years of study, work, and life in the big city.

The entrance to the house is via a concrete path on the eastern front. A covered exterior foyer leads to an internal corridor within the house, illuminated and connecting the different areas of the home. This path alternates between revealing views of the valley and mountains through large windows, guiding the occupants from the public areas to the intimate spaces of the house, with views extending outwards through the transparent office door. Movement within the house is centered around this corridor, which shifts between light and shadow, revealing and concealing the landscape in turn. The corridor faces windows on all sides, allowing light to enter from the sides and above. During the day, the house is entirely illuminated by natural light. A custom carpentry piece with a bench and a bookshelf extends to the sloped upper windows at the front of the structure.

The house is composed of three main sections: the living room area is the tallest, characterized by a slanted concrete ceiling that reaches approximately 5 meters from the floor. This section houses the entrance foyer, living room, and kitchen. The second, rectangular part of the house contains the children’s bedrooms and bathroom. The third, more intimate section, includes a sitting area that opens onto a semi-enclosed courtyard, bordered by walls on three sides, facing west towards the view. This part of the house also includes an office with a separate entrance and a master suite with an en-suite bathroom.

The house was designed as a single concrete structure, with integral shading element. Its exterior form is sculptural yet maintains the modernist character of the building. The spatial layout and connections between them are influenced by Mediterranean architecture, adapted to the local landscape and climate, and the way light enters the house. Designed for a family, the house contains a variety of living and play spaces, balancing shared areas with privacy. The use of natural finishing materials imparts warmth, and all the custom carpentry pieces were designed by the architect as integral parts of the structure. The exterior plaster gives the house a natural appearance that blends seamlessly with the ground and the landscape. This is a mineral wash plaster, a type used in Israel during the early decades of the 20th century.

The house is compactly designed, with a gross area of 160 square meters, tailored entirely to the specific needs of the family—from the outdoor seating areas to custom carpentry designs.

Team:
Architect: Naama Dagan Architecture
Landscape Architect: Noga Dauber
Construction Engineer: Nachum Barer
Photo credits: Oded Smadar

Material Used:
1. Facade cladding: Mineral Wash Plaster called waschputz, Brand: Mineral Silicato
2. Flooring: Smoothed concrete, Brand: evengan 
3. Windows: Aluminum, Brand: cochav 
4. Interior lighting: Soho