The book Architecture Within describes in first person the unique body of work of the interior architect Carmela Karmi. This is the story of the public buildings, commercial centers, apartments, bedrooms, kitchens and furniture that surrounded the Israeli’s daily life from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Through Carmela’s personal story a broader story is revealed, one which describes the formation of the local and contemporary everyday and intimate spaces. Carmela’s work is interwoven with the story of the maturation of Israeli society and the process of establishing a local taste, language and style. Observing them reveals changes in production and labor patterns, in consumer standards, as well as in the standard of living and in their private and public visibility in Israel.

Carmela Karmi-Dekel, born in Haifa, graduated from L.C.C Central School of Arts and Crafts in London in the Department of Interior Design and Furniture. Carmela worked in various architectural firms, owned a private interior design office in Tel Aviv and was involved in teaching. Her book is published by the Avi and Sarah Arenson Built Heritage Research Center (BHRC) at the Technion’s Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning.