Tel Aviv highlights green buildings, spaces, construction techniques, and gardens during its annual “Houses from Within” weekend. [image via: Ykravitz]
One spring weekend every year, for the past few years, Tel Aviv celebrates its architecture and invites the public to learn about the special structures that get to call the city their home. These structures usually include architecturally significant public buildings, but also encompass architectural spaces that are generally closed to the public such as urban villas, interior designers’ lofts and open studios that open their doors and welcome the curious masses to view Houses from Within. For the past couple of years the event has made a greater effort to highlight environmentally friendly and/or sustainable urban spaces, and this year there are more green events than ever before.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Curious about green and the big city? Here’s a list of some of the interesting green eco-urban and eco-architectural events happening this Friday and Saturday:
Sarah Racine Root Research Laboratory: Professor Amram Eshel of Tel Aviv University will be offering open tours of the Botanical Gardens’ Root Research Laboratory, where roots are researched from below. Friday 9am-3pm.
Maoz Aviv Community Garden: The garden, founded and tended to by local residents in the Maoz Aviv neighborhood, is an example of initiatives that promote community and eco-friendly living in the city. Organic veggies and composting are part of the garden. Friday 9am-12noon.
Making Items Out of Recycled Plastic Bags: This workshop, run by Liat Kadosh of Eccoukka, will teach kids how to make kites out of recycled plastic bags. Suitable for children aged 3 and older. Friday 2:30pm-6:30 pm.
Urban Sustainability in Tel Aviv: This tour, led by Knesset Member Nitzan Horowitz, will highlight issues of urban sustainability in Tel Aviv’s city center. The tour will begin in Dizengoff Square and end in London Garden. Saturday 11am.
The “City Tree” Ecological Apartment: An interesting and beautiful historic architectural structure in its own right, the City Tree ecological apartment on Bialik Street was renovated with completely eco-friendly methods. The apartment also features, urban compost, a raw kitchen, greywater system, and a vegetable garden. Friday 10am-3pm, Saturday 11am-5pm.
Ecological Planning of Rothschild Boulevard: Valentina Nelin, a sustainable architecture consultant, will lead this tour of Rothschild Boulevard and how it serves as a model for problems of ventilation light and shade. Friday 3:30 pm.
For full information about each of the above events please click the relevant link, and for a full list of events (both green and otherwise) check out the Houses from Within website.
Houses from Within is taking place May 7-8 throughout Tel Aviv. For more information, visit the event website.
Read more about Tel Aviv’s urban sustainability::
The Best Way to Keep Buildings Green is Not to Build New Ones
City Tree: A Green Oasis in the Middle of Tel Aviv
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.
