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profile: Tamar Koren
age: 43
born: Jerusalem, Israel
education: Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem
Tamar Koren's home in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevesseret Zion is a showcase of her work. The neatly arranged and modern light-filled rooms are inviting and characterize her architectural style of bringing the outside in. Large windows frame the panoramic view of the Jerusalem hills and reflect her design philosophy. "It is important," she explains, "that the house come out of the local topography, and the connection between interior and exterior is integral. Light is another essential element, and because the Israeli sun is so strong it must be taken into account." The centrality of spatial relationships are also evident in her work. "The connection between spaces is what turns a design from just a box into a home," she declares.
Koren began her studies in ceramics at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design but quickly recognized that her first love, ceramic sculpting, was best kept as a hobby and that architecture suited her better as a career. "I love being an architect because of the diverse aspects -- creativity and the arts, psychology and working with people, and the intellectual challenge of on-going study."
At the beginning of her career, working among men, she always had to prove that she was the planning authority, but today she views her gender as an advantage. "In designing homes," she says, "a woman's intuition, the feminine touch, is clearly a benefit."
According to Koren, "Israeli architecture is still looking for its roots. In my field of private homes we are still feeling our way and adapting styles from other places. It is hard to point to a clear local style." She ponders the change in Israeli awareness of style. "In recent years Israelis have become more aware of aesthetics and have higher standards. Economic prosperity, exposure to the world at large, a profusion of magazines, beautiful stores, and more attractively packaged products all combine to shape popular taste in Israel."
Koren's office is in the home she shares with her husband and two children. She is currently teamed up with another architect designing a school in a Jerusalem neighborhood.
Women architects in Israel, poised to meet the design challenges of the new century, will be playing an even greater role in shaping the face of the country's landscape, while helping Israelis actualize the homes of their dreams. The growing number of women assuming pivotal positions in top architectural firms as well as in academia not only gives credence to their professional advancement but provides the impetus for further opportunity and, hopefully, will lead to real equality in the field and the eventual demise of gender-based discrimination.
Nancy Shekter-Porat is a freelance writer living in Israel, and a frequent contributor to The Reporter.
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Three women changing the face of Israel
