out more than in

At the family home of an Israeli architect, modern and light-filled interiors enliven a brutalist, raw concrete structure. Located in the city of Ramat HaSharon near Tel Aviv, the home that Pitsou Kedem designed for himself and his family boasts a powerful and striking horizontal form with a low silhouette.

An ipe walkway leads past a steel gate to the guesthouse.

Detour for Dwell Magazine

“We talked about creating a sense of mystery when [guests] walked in from the street,” says Christopher. A gate swings open on a steel bar-stock frame to reveal a courtyard and the dining room beyond.

More than just a clever cover, the ipe wood shell of Mark Erman's spa, thanks to its 40-foot tracks, niftily navigates the rocky straights between spa shelter, dapper deck, and bespoke buffet table.

A guest bedroom, with furniture from Room & Board, overlooks the bridge above the dining courtyard. The home’s landscape architecture is by Ventura, California–based Jack Kiesel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

A gravel path leads to a guesthouse, where Trainor supplemented an existing garden of yuccas and palm trees with succulent aeoniums and flowering euphorbias.

Unassuming by day, the exterior glimmers in the evening thanks to punctures that mimic the night sky. Photo by: Philip Cheung

Architectural designer Sebastian Mariscal and project manager Jeff Svitak created a house in Venice, California, for Michael and Tamami Sylvester. Known as Dwell Home Venice for its role as an exemplification of modern architecture, the house is an homage to indoor-outdoor living. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Their daughters, Annapurna, left, and Siddartha, play with their dog, Anouck, beneath the kangaroo paws in the entry garden courtyard.

A mature Japanese maple was preserved during construction. The way we designed the entry sequence, with the front door not facing the street, but rather facing the Japanese maple tree relates to his concept of ‘entrance transition.’ A mature Japanese maple tree was preserved during the construction.

California: Andrea Cochran On a two-and-a-half acre landscape in Geyserville, California, Andrea Cochran found that compatibility was key. “Although not all of the plants are native to California, they are native to the Mediterranean and arid regions with similar climates,” she says. Lomandra— an Australian herb—flanks a Cor-Ten steel staircase and a walkway lined with Yosemite tan pebbles and concrete.

California: Andrea Cochran To contrast the billowy tufts, Cochran inserted blue-toned agave. “Drought-tolerant and hardy enough to handle the intensive sun exposure of this location, both of these plants are regionally appropriate,” says Cochran. “California is in the midst of a drought; we need to consider water-conserving plants.”

This Hayes Valley roof garden in San Francisco was designed by Cochran in 2002. Photo by Marion Brenner.

Love, Rust

Burnette sought to maintain the property’s natural vegetation and rocky ground surface.

This minimalist home outside of Antwerp was designed by AIDarchitecten with a simple black swing hanging underneath its covered patio. Photo courtesy of AIDarchitecten

Famed producer and writer of hit TV show Girls, Jenni Konner and her partner Richard Shepard, hired architect Barbara Bestor, of Bestor Architecture, to reimagine their 1963, 2,500 square foot residence in the Hollywood Hills. Michelle Frier was in charge of the landscape, which includes native plants and an Egg swing by Patricia Urquila for Kettal to sit back and enjoy the nature surrounding it. Photo courtesy of Matthew Williams

Nicole Hollis designed this contemporary home in Hawaii for a couple who were Southern California natives that fell for the coast of Kona long ago. The home boasts indoor/outdoor living that’s complete with a relaxing bench swing to enjoy the Hawaiian breeze. Photo courtesy of Laure Joliet