One weekend a year, Tel Aviv’s architectural treasures open their doors and allow the public to learn about and appreciate the urban environment.
In this unique annual event structures such as historical buildings, private homes, designer lofts, unique gardens, and even construction sites are made available in a project called Houses From Within.
This year there’s a twist. This year environmentally friendly architecture and urban environmental issues are being made open to the public as well.
The Houses From Within weekend of events, which will take place on May 16-17, will include nine environmentally-focused activities ranging from open houses to bicycle tours to mud brick workshops. These are truly unique events that will not likely be repeated very often, and so this is a great opportunity to learn about green Tel Aviv.
The events being offered are:
Electricity Power Plant on Skyscrapers’ Roof Tops (158 Derech Begin St., Saturday 17.5 10:00-12:00)
The ALT E Company (Alternative Energy), which develops and installs alternative energy solutions for large buildings, is inviting the public to learn about the wind turbines that are installed on the roofs of skyscrapers. Open house (no registration required).
From An Existing Apartment to a Sustainable One (23 Bialik Street, Friday 16.5 9:00-17:00, Saturday 17.5 10:00-17:00)
Observe the interior of a historic building from 1925 that is being restored with purely sustainable and environmentally friendly materials, such as papier mache and other recycled materials. Lectures about green lifestyle in the city and urban solutions for sustainable life will take place throughout the day. Open discussion (no registration required).
The Jaffa Landslide (Kedem St. across from the Jewish-Arab Center, Jaffa, Friday 16.5 17:30)
Landscape architect Aliza Broida, who is responsible for the Jaffa Landslide Project, will discuss how the project aims to turn a local garbage mountain into a beach park. The project is one of the largest construction waste removal and recycling projects in Israel. Registration required.
The Green House (85 Nachalat Binyamin, Saturday 17.5 11:00-11:30 Tom Bercher from Good Energy Initiative, 11:30-12:00 Yotam Avi Zohar from the Israel For Bicycle Organization, 12:00-12:30 Efrat Pompes from the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Nature Protection Society, 12:30-13:00 Yakov Gilat from the Green Forum in Tel Aviv)
A day of lectures and discussions at a building that gathers many of Tel Aviv’s environmental organizations under one roof. Open discussion with no registration required, but limited space.
Tel Aviv -Handlebar Level (Atarim Square to Neve Tsedek, Saturday 17.5 10:00-11:30)
Bicyle tour of Tel Aviv with Yotam Avi Zohar, CEO of Israel for Bicycle. Registration required (limited to 25 riders).
Environmental Struggles and Urban Planning (Rabin Square to Gordon Pool, Saturday 17.5 12:30-14:00)
Bicycle tour with Omer Cohen, the Urban Planning Coordinator at the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Nature Protection Society. Registration required (limited to 25 riders).
Nature in the City (Shuster Shopping Center, Ramat Aviv to Tel Baruch Beach, Saturday 17.5 16:00-17:30)
Bicycle tour with Biran, the Urban Nature Coordinator at the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Nature Protection Society. Registration required (limited to 25 riders).
Charming Spots in Hayarkon Park (Hayarkon estuary to Memadion parking lot, Saturday 17.5 16:00-17:30)
Bicycle tour of the charming hidden spots of Hayarkon Park with Gal Tal, an instructor at the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Nature Protection Society. Registration required (limited to 25 riders).
Mud Brick Construction Workshop (25 Ha’avoda Street, Saturday 17.5 10:00-14:00)
Learn how to make all kinds of mud brick structures, ranging from taboon ovens to huts. Workshop suitable for all ages, held in the center of Tel Aviv. Open workshop (no registration required).
See also:: Living High-Rise and Green, Florentin Fights Back
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
What a material of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable knowledge concerning unexpected
feelings.
I saw an ad last year in the Wall Street Journal for an architect who designed a condo building in Israel that had 10′ x 10′ enclosed hydrophonic greenhouses in lieu of balconies. Do you have any more info about this project or the architect?
Hey Karen,
Interesting stuff. I am a writer who is moving back to Israel in October. My girlfriend is an environmental architect from Argentina. I would like to get some information for her on the field in ISrael. Do you mind contacting me: [email protected]
Toda,
Roi
James, I’m not sure how many of the tours will be in Anglit, but I think that some of those sessions are small enough that you could approach someone in English and get lucky. Karin – what house built around a mango tree?? Can’t believe I missed that!
Hi Karen – I’ve got the website, but it doesn’t make it clear if any or how many of the lectures might be b’Anglit. Any idea?
I’ve been looking through the rest of the events online, and many other stops have a “green” theme as well. There is a tour of a Tel Aviv house that was built around a mango tree, and the rooftop gardens of a bank….