Technion Student Residence
Location: Haifa
Size: 10,645 sqm
Status: Proposal
Usage: Residential
Services: Architecture
About the Project
We have submitted two different proposals for a student’s housing buildings. Each proposal offers a different interpretation for a building that is designated for young, vibrant audience with lively community life. We were very proud to discover that our plans received both first and second prize in a creative contest run by the Israeli Architects Association.
Proposal #1
The proposal sets an alternative for the typical housing solutions and offers a model for community life in a vertical structure. The structure clusters residential units around common public spaces, which creates a living environment suitable for the students’ lifestyle.
The concept is implemented using a reinforced concrete structure, which is simple and quick to execute, economical and yet has a strong presence, serving as a foundation for placing residential units and creating adjoining public spaces.
The reinforced concrete structure creates “double-slab” stories, where separate housing units built of light materials can be placed and arranged in two different levels and variating overlaps, creating well-lit airy spaces. The colorful residential unit modules, placed playfully on the concrete skeleton are vivid, eye catching and create distinction between the different units.
flexible, coincidental urban spaces, representing streets and piazzas where everyday life happens.
The building rooftop serves as an open public space overlooking the breathtaking view of Haifa Bay.
Proposal #2
The plan’s concept is based on using an organic tree-like structure which connects two large built masses. The central organic structure would be used for public functions that defines variety of green, open levels that are connecting the two different building parts. The “tree” stems upwards from the ground floor, throughout the residential floors and eventually emerges to the top of the building, wraps around it and serves as a rooftop. This is the heart of the building, a meeting place, a space for leisure and recreation for the student community that would live around it.
The public levels are varied in shape and size and are placed at mid-floor level, which distinguished between public spaces and private residential areas. The placement also allows for maximum natural light and air flow to the inner facades.
The building fits perfectly with its immediate urban surroundings. The built masses, the “tree” shape and the use of greenery blend seamlessly in Haifa’s urban scape and with the slopes of Mount Carmel. The plan maximizes the use of the plot that is facing north and has a view to Haifa Bay. Central functions such as an open air amphitheater were placed on the roof and the breathtaking view is visible from various angles.
