The exterior of the Tipo949 renovation project by architects Raz Melamed and Omer Danan drew our attention first. We absolutely love the way this two-level apartment both stands out from and fits in within the sea-front walls of the 300-year-old stone structure.

Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the ancient port city of Jaffa, the oldest part of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality, this residence is the height of urban cool in our opinion. It ticks off all of our favourites: renovation instead of a new-build, sensitive restoration, smart use of space, overall minimalist approach, open plan, gorgeous views ? we could go on and on.

In addition to the balcony and the terrace, we really fell in love with the overall livability of the residence. In fact, for this project, we could (and do!) repeat what we wrote in 2013 about another restoration of another residence in another 300-year-old stone building by Raz Melamed who at the time worked for Pitsou Kedem Architects as did Omer Danan. We wrote about that project: ?Our main attraction points in this cool sanctuary are the gorgeous arches, the exposed texture of the old stone, the subdued colour pattern, and the lovely balance between the old and the new. It looks so easy and natural, but it is very tough to achieve such poise.? Exactly.

And as Melamed and Danan explain to us, this recent project was a close collaboration with the clients ? a young couple and their two children ? who needed a functional home, not an architec...