- Architecture and Interior Design: Boaz Snir - Architects
- Construction: Buki Snir
- Management, Coordination, and Execution: Ido Snir
- Styling for Photography: Maya Sheleg and Orna Mazor
This private house, located near Herzliya's beachfront on a 500 square meter lot, underwent extensive renovations, including numerous building additions. Before the renovation, the house was old, uninhabitable, and in real danger of collapsing, with crumbling walls and a sagging ceiling. When the seller put it up for sale, no one showed interest, and it was destined for demolition as a residence.
Architect Boaz Snir, responsible for architecture, interior design, and planning, made additions to all areas, significantly expanded the ground floor, added a secure room (Mamad), bathrooms, a staircase leading to a new attic, replaced the existing roof, and made changes to the interior divisions and openings. Outside, a swimming pool and a covered parking area were added.
The couple's request was to polish the raw diamond—to transform the old and neglected structure completely. They aimed to work with the existing elements, understanding the building's story and history while preserving its charm and character. Additionally, it was important for them that the house blends into its pastoral surroundings, avoiding a grandiose or concrete block structure that alienates its natural environment.
The renovation process, including concrete pouring and building additions, was completed relatively quickly in about eight months. Under the new design, the original structure underwent a complete facelift and was expanded. According to architect Boaz Snir, "There is a tendency to immediately label old houses as demolition properties. Unfortunately, too many planners don't see how they can integrate and contribute to the existing structure. They prefer to create from scratch rather than plan additions to work done by others. It's easier to design on a blank page than on a page filled with parts that need to be assembled into a whole puzzle.
"I believe that today, thinking about green architecture, which considers the implications of construction waste, new concrete pours, and preserving historical and architectural values, should be a significant part of our planning concept and decisions. In terms of planning, I always strive to preserve the existing structure and create a design based on the connection between the building and its natural environment. In the next stage, I think about how to integrate new planning into the existing complex. In renovating an old house or apartment, we need to remove the layers that prevent us from seeing that there is a hidden treasure in front of us that can be turned into something shiny and refined with out-of-the-box thinking."
The enchanting personalities of the property owners are reflected in the character of the house in all its parts. Their closeness to environmental issues and the relationship between nature and man greatly contributed to the planning connection created between the interior and exterior in openings and material choices. An old cypress tree, which was decided not to be cut down and stands in the corner of the lot, influenced the decision on the placement of the swimming pool. Accessibility was also part of the requirements program and influenced the planning of comfortable and spacious passages between different parts of the house, creating a sense of flow between interior and exterior transitions.
The house's style is a design mix that combines local Mediterranean influences with European architecture and American design influences. It is difficult to define it under a distinct style and interpret it within a defined framework; it is an eclectic and daring house in terms of design, with a sense of freedom and creative liberty. It has many humorous touches, joy of life, tranquility, and human warmth. This is a home to live in, not just to look at—a living, breathing, and pulsating house in all its parts, creating an intimate and personal living environment.
The massive wooden beams of the exposed tiled roof, the division lines of the aluminum profiles in the windows and vitrines in the house reinforce the rustic feel and the connection between the structure, nature, and its surroundings. The presence of the swimming pool, located in the northern part of the lot, is also felt inside the house, contributing to the creation of a resort-like atmosphere or a vacation home in some pastoral destination.