Architecture of Israel - latest issue

INTERIOR DESIGN OF HOMES
NATURAL LIGHT AS A STARTING POINT

An important principle of interior design is that it should have focal points - often denoted "bones". Proper attention to the the construction itself will probably provide the design's starting point. Until recently, one could assume that the architect has invested considerable effort in assigning functional roles to the building's spaces, openings, staircases, columns, beams, and niches. With the advent of "flexible spaces" as a factor in the real estate market, spaces are offered without designated functional properties. This is particularly true in spaces of limited life-spans, such as shops, restaurants, offices, and hotels, where the user is a guest, in transit for a short stay. Such facilities frequently change hands, compelling designers to constantly innovate. The designer therefore turns to "thematic design" to satisfy changing needs, creating a layout that is independent of the building, and often unrelated to its surroundings. The house, however, is a complex system of spaces, in which the user spends extended periods of time.

Therefore architects see the house as a set of spaces, each with a unique set of spatial properties. Thematic design, by nature disconnected from reality, does not provide design solutions to real life situations, other than in children's room or formal dining rooms, where the home-owner chooses certain themes to express a temporary style, but not his real way of life. In house design, the residents' way of life is the keyword. Appropriate consideration must be given to light directions and other constructional properties, in order to successfully cater to the users' habits and needs. Taking into account the location of windows, doors and courtyards, the design is actually based on a calculated analysis of shade year-round and throughout the day. One may say then, that the "bones" of successful design of the home, must stem from the constructional properties of the building.