Pitsou Kedem Architects was founded in 2000 and now consists of 11 architects. The studio design covers a wide range of projects with a wide range of complexity. From the interior design of restaurants, shops and living spaces to the design of private homes.

In this master class, Pitsou Kedem, the founder of a design firm, shared their design philosophy and specific design projects with the theme of “X-Ray”. Since his student days, Pitsou has had a great interest in presenting light and shadow effects in architecture. In their current projects, they continue their unique ideas about light and analyze every project from different angles and themes, discussing the long process from the beginning to the final construction. They also show how they achieve dramatic lighting effects through the handling of materials and the study of details. They believe that people usually only see the completed state of a project, but the design process behind the project is where the true meaning lies.

Yinjispace：If your studio is personally involved in the selection and use of each material?

Pitsou Kedem：When it comes to architecture, materials are very important. However, before considering the materials, we must first have an architectural concept and choose materials based on the environment. As architects, our buildings will always exist in a specific environment, so we need to ensure that the selected materials are coordinated with the environment. If we build in a historically significant area, we need to use corresponding materials. In extreme climates like Israel, the materials we choose must be practical, able to withstand sunlight and not easily decay. We hope that the selected materials are durable, so that our buildings can still look good after 50, 20, or 100 years in the future. However, for architects, the priority is not materials, but rather architectural needs. For example, if we want to achieve a suspended roof with a skylight, we need to select materials that can support this design. When choosing materials, we must consider the environment, practicality, feasibility, and other factors in combination before making the best choice.

Yinjispace：The works you design are all very modernist, which is good at the architectural level, but do house owners feel that the actual living lacks a warm atmosphere? 

Pitsou Kedem：This is a question that we are often asked, and I will explain it from several aspects. Firstly, if you go to our studio's website, you will see that our portfolio displays some private residential projects. This is because there is much more room for creativity when designing private residences, and design is relatively less important for urban planning. Additionally, we design residential and small apartment buildings in Tel Aviv because most people do not live in luxury homes. On our website, we have over 50 buildings that we have designed and built, and only one of them is my own residence. This is because we usually take photos of the house when it is unoccupied. We believe that once we hand over the house to the client, they will fill the space with their own roots, history, and personal items. Of course, over time, the house will change, which is closely related to private possessions. That's why our architectural designs are simple and modern, focusing on the building itself rather than the privacy of the family. Secondly, we showcase large-scale projects, but in recent years, we have also designed and built small apartments and houses. In smaller projects, it is easier to exhibit warmth and intimacy. Although we have attempted to have the homeowners place their own items in the photographs, not everyone has their own "roots" or cultural background, so we cannot display these photos to others.

Yinjispace：What software is used for detecting ventilation and sunlight in projects with special-shaped facade?

Pitsou Kedem：This is a great question, but it is not something that I personally did. This was done by an engineer in Germany. What I wanted to say is that architecture requires teamwork. We found this manufacturer in Germany, who typically works on large facades, and they use engineering software that calculates the force of wind on irregular facades using mathematical methods. This does not fall within the scope of architecture. They simply informed me whether the design was feasible or not.

Yinjispace：Will your new book be available on Amazon?

Pitsou Kedem：I am not from the publishing industry, so I am not quite sure. The publisher is based in Germany and I think the book will be published in July, but the specific date is still unknown. The exact release date will be announced on the publisher’s website, my website, our company’s website, and on my Instagram. Everyone can purchase the book online, but I’m not sure if it will be available on my website or on Amazon. If you want to buy it, just send me an email. Once it’s published, I will be happy to sign it for you.