From concrete skeleton to spectacular garden in Zikhron Ya'akov

Architecture: Samet Architects

Garden planning: Anat Tamari Galim Ganim landscape planning

Pool: Avner Zadok Plagim Company

Photo: Ben Rothstein and Elena Dovatov

The project in Zikhron Ya'akov started from an old concrete frame that stood empty and gray for many years in front of the wonderful view of the sea. The architects of the house, Samet Architects, knew how to turn the skeleton into a functional, aesthetic and pleasant house, when the landscape planning with an outdoor space spread over 750 square meters, completed the picture into one harmonious, complete project, where the interior and exterior speak to each other and complement each other .

The family asked for a lush natural garden, which combines paved and comfortable areas for entertaining, as well as a swimming pool and spot treatment for the concrete stairs that existed only as a skeleton. The landscape planners, Galim Ganim Landscape Planning Office, combined floating stone stairs at the entrance to the house, metal planters and two ornamental pools on two different levels, which were designed together with the Plagim company down to the smallest detail.

On the living room level, the infinity pool was designed by the Peleg company. The pool, which overlooks the landscape, is 9 x 4 m in size, creating a feeling of water falling into the spectacular blue of the sea. Avner Zadok, CEO of Plagim explains, "The infinity pool corresponds with the powerful landscape, and it includes seating platforms inside and outside the water, a lounging platform, options for heating the water in order to use it all year round, and a special and safety cover, when the materials we chose correspond with the house and give the landscape the full stage."

"The landscaping in the project was designed to embrace the house but not disturb the view, with planting islands within the bright, clean pavement, made of Mongolian travertine stone. Meanwhile, the entrance stairs to the house were also designed with the same stone, which has a floating appearance. The stairs rise between gardening islands in large metal planters , when the two ornamental pools ripple between the plants. There is also a wild and hidden garden on the third level of the house on the bedroom floor, so that every room opens up to a lush and green garden and enhances the home experience and the connection with the outdoors," explains landscape architect Anat Tamri from Galim Ganim.

Zadok also adds: "This is a house in which nature is a very important part, not only because of its high location and the powerful view, but also its correspondence with nature that the family chose to create. NATURE IN HOUSE. In doing so, we designed three elements of water: the pool, which is of course the highlight, A small stone fish pond, which is divided into sub-areas - an area with vegetation and a water purifier, which falls to a waterfall on the wall directly into the fish pond, and last but not least - an ornamental pond adjacent to the front door, which is actually a reflection pond with water only a cm high, and its role is to provide a mirror effect between the walls of the house".