House of the Season אדריכלות ישראלית Architecture of Israel #133 May 2023 | | 90 house of the season new kibbutz houses bordering the gaza strip Shira Shenton Idit Grady grew up in Kiryat Ono. As a student she lived in Jaffa, and after graduating from Ariel School of Architecture she worked for several years in urban planning in several architectural firms in Tel Aviv. About eight years ago she moved with her family to Kibbutz Nirim, in the last few years establishing her own architectural office there in which she specializes in redesigning old kibbutz houses that have lost their relevance due to major social changes that occurred within kibbutz society. This, which she sees as her professional destiny, allows her to give each home an individual interpretation according to the changing aspirations of each of the inhabitants, managing to embed in each one the personal story of its occupants. I wouldn't ask you this question in another political reality, but how would you connect the political situation that pertained at the time around what eventually became Ariel University School of Architecture, and the fact that you currently live next to the Gaza Strip, one of the most threatened areas in Israel today? As an architect who previously lived in the mixed population of Jaffa, as well as in Ariel, I manage to see in every place I live a creative thinking trigger. My personal interpretation of different situations in day to day life requires me to focus first on the sense of belonging - in what makes a building a home, both physically and emotionally - and my personal acclimatization process. In my work I am trying to establish connections and contacts between people. Let's say that being a self-employed architect and mother of two children along side the Gaza Strip is a story that can fill an article in itself. The place where I studied, as well as where I live today are places of relations - places where there are complications and difficulties that, with quite a bit of effort I have been able to infuse with plenty of light and comfort. The places I plan for others always remind me of my own experience, trying to balance my conflict. The kibbutz house is always modest on the outside, it must not catch the eye, in contrast to the richness with detail inside. You talk about balance, and I personally think it's a keyword in life in general, and in architecture in particular. How does it match the conflicted reality of being "better off" in a modest socialist environment? Since these are homes built in a very different reality and in different social conditions, they are actually loaded with conflicts, especially vis a vis the situation in the country today. The starting point is an old and neglected home, from which I am expected to produce a worthy architecture. Do you have your own personal style, or are you just trying to fulfill the occupants' desires? My goal is to create an authentic relationship with every client from the design world I bring with me. That is, the house feels that it is the clients’, but always expresses my own design thinking. Obviously, there is a fundamental difference between planning from scratch without budget considerations and a massive renovation. Usually those who live in the house are obsessively connected to it and sometimes it is difficult to move it to a "better" dream than what they know. The change happens in a gradual, ongoing process, whose success is measured by the fact that some of my clients remain my best friends. What is more important to you, design fantasies or functional considerations? Obviously, functional considerations are taken into account all the time - such as orientation for light and fresh air introduction, spatial distribution according to the agenda of each family member, and no less important, distributing the budget in relation to the client's pocket, which is a very substantive factor. Can you describe your design style in words? If you really insist on a literal description ... my personal style expresses a connection between me as a creator and the existing situation and personal desires of the clients. The seemingly visible result is a rather eclectic one which results from a combination of several factors at the same time, including the clients' unique taste, budget considerations and practical aspects of the finishing materials. Is it possible to locate certain motifs connecting all your works? I hadn't thought about that, but my approach as an architect is to emphasize the user movement in space. That is, how the points of view vary according to movement in space. My goal is to create an interesting spatial experience - physically and mentally. A place that can be so interesting that one won't want to leave it.
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