ECOWEEK 2019 Projects in Holon, Israel Placemaking in Public Places
On September 1-6, 2019, the ECOWEEK design workshops made Big Transformations with Small Means at the Neot Shoshanim Community Center in Holon, Israel. ECOWEEK took place in cooperation with Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) Faculty of Design, the Strategic Planning Department and Sustainability Department of Holon Municipality, the Hirya Environmental Educational Center, the Israel Union of Architects, the Israel Green Building Council, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Union of Romanian Architects, the Norwegian Embassy, Goethe Institute, and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim, Germany. Hosted at HIT, ECOWEEK 2019 hosted the exhibition ‘7 Jewish Pioneers of Modern Architecture in Romania’ at the Architects’ House, curated by the Union of Romanian Architects, the Israel Union of Architects and the Romanian Cultural Institute. ECOWEEK speakers included architect Lorin Niculae (Romania), architect Till Boettger (Germany), Riva Waldman (Israel), artist and designer Ayelet Tarlovsky (Israel), designer Roni Mero (Israel), and architect Iris Givoli Faiman (Israel). The organizing team included Elias Messinas (ECOWEEK / HIT), Bracha Kunda (HIT), and Iris Givoli Faiman (HIT), joined by Till Boettger (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim, Germany). “In modern design and urban development, mega projects are designed top-down. There is no small scale. In contrast, Placemaking is the creation of spaces for people by people. Activating Placemaking at ECOWEEK, students of architecture and design, work with the local community to re-claim public space, and transform it, using reclaimed and recycled materials.” E.M.
WORKSHOP Leaders: Architects Lorin Niculae, Till Boettger, Braha Kunda, Iris Givoli Faiman, and Elias Messinas. Consultants: Ayelet Tarlovsky and Roni Mero. WORKSHOP Team: Esther Sheli Abergel, Dar Asuri, Daniel Moris Barra, Alon Ben Ami Erickson, Maor Bezner, Lihi Bronstein, Gili Cohen, Hadas Cohen, Lior Cohen, Meshi Fishbain, Saar Goren, Noy Hadad, Or Hadadi, Zemer Hai, Shir Harari, Liron Hori, Sabrina Kakol, Karin Levin, Guy Levkov, Jennifer Marr, Dana Nolman, Noha Sewoester, Lynn Shabbat, Aviv Shamir, Shahar Sokot, Shai Shoshan, Daniel Tzipori, Adi Ventura, and Tom Wirt.
W1: Branding The workshop, which consisted primarily of visual communication students from HIT, engaged in re-creating a new logo and brand identity for the Community Center, adding to the logo the form of people in an otherwise abstract form.
W2. Center Outdoor Spaces W2.1: Entrance The workshop focused on the design and construction of a welcoming installation to the entrance of the Center. ‘We noticed how children want to enter the center “their way”. So, we created for them a playful mountain form, for children to climb and a bench for parents to sit. In the process, we also learned what wood enables us to do’, said student Or Hadadi.
W2.2: Fence The workshop focused on the fence of the Center as a lost opportunity to connect to the neighborhood. The students created a gap in the fence, by removing part of it, and then filled the gap with seating for the community. ‘When we took down the 66
