In a competition organized by the European Union, awards were given to unusual green construction projects, in the spirit of the Bauhaus style principles. When will we see such structures in Israel as well?
What will the buildings of the big cities look like in ten or a hundred years? If you envision glass and steel structures adorned with futuristic technological means competing with planes and gliders for a place in the skies, you may very well be right, but according to the stated vision of EU leaders – they may also be clay and wooden structures with solar panels, bird houses, trees Fruit and artificial lakes. Eco-friendly This is the new modern, it turns out, at least if we rely on the winners of the first “New European Bauhaus” competition, recently held by the European Union. What do the winning ventures look like? What is the connection between them and the Bauhaus style, examples of which can also be found in Israeli cities? And what is an eco-friendly building anyway?
The competition follows the European Commission President’s announcement last year of the need to produce an architecture style with a new and unique aesthetic that will help cities become greener and more connected to nature, as part of the EU’s economic recovery plan to emerge from the Corona crisis. The inspiration for the architectural style that grew up in the Bauhaus school that operated in Germany between the two world wars, and which is evident in Israel, especially in Tel Aviv and Haifa, is expressed by combining artists with architects and engineers, and creating modern buildings that sanctify functionality – both characteristics of the Bauhaus style. The ten winning projects, which in the judges’ opinion best demonstrated the values of sustainability and aesthetics, received a grant of 30,000 euros.
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One of the winning projects is an alternative medicine center built in the German city of Rosenheim using natural materials collected from the area: soil, mud and trees, in order to prove that the same materials and methods can be used in Germany in countries where construction is rural-traditional-environmental, such as Bangladesh.
Another project is a 5-storey building built from old containers previously used by cargo ships, designed to provide affordable housing for people forced to leave their homes due to gentrification processes (expulsion of vulnerable populations from a particular residential area due to rising prices) in Barcelona, Spain. By adding thermal insulation and location in a way that maximizes the amount of sun in winter and shade in summer, the recycled building is not only particularly inexpensive to build and dismantle and reuse, but also consumes 25 percent less energy, emitting 54 percent less greenhouse gases than a similar building.
Another intriguing venture that won the grant is not a structure at all, but an experiment that included more than 50,000 people who replaced the polluting private vehicle on a bicycle for six months. In the venture, which continues today, the carbon emissions achieved by riding these bikes are converted into digital “points”, which can be bought from riders by local companies looking to offset the carbon they emit, or be used by riders to buy products and services.
Contributes to pocket and soul
“I think there is something in the winners of the competition that is more intended for the conscious and romantic aspect,” says Yossi Corey, an architect and owner of Gautektura, which specializes in ecological construction. “Building with natural materials and using existing materials like containers are important, but the question is whether any of this will speak to developers building projects hundreds of thousands of meters long – and I guess the answer is no.”
However, Corey believes in the important role of green building, as an environmentally preferential approach – and also economically and health-wise for all parties involved. “The triangle of sustainability is: environment, economy, society,” he says. “My responsibility as an architect is to address these three elements in the most appropriate way, as an ideology without an economic aspect will not materialize – and even a super-environmental venture that is not suitable for the population that is supposed to use it is ultimately doomed to failure.”
Corey describes green construction as one that involves additional investment in planning – which enables energy savings. “An environmental structure requires a lot of attention to detail – proper placement in relation to the sun, landscape and wind directions can lead to tens of percent higher efficiency when it comes to lighting and the need to use air conditioning,” he says.
According to him, one of the aspects where environmental design is more intelligent is the type of materials used in construction. “Tall office buildings made of glass are not suitable for the Israeli climate, and create a heavy burden of energy costs,” he says. “It is possible to make intelligent use of a material that knows how to insulate and still produce openings and ventilation with a view of the landscape – this is a challenge that can be met through quality preliminary planning.”
According to Corey, beyond energy savings, green building also has psychological effects for the user. “In green schools students get better grades, in offices higher productivity and in homes better health – so proper planning affects both the pocket and the mind.”
Push up the quality of construction
And what is the situation in Israel? You may not be surprised to hear that Israeli entrepreneurs do not have a great fondness for making larger initial investments, even though they lead to a higher return that pays off in the long run. “Private sector construction initiatives are constantly moving towards those who offer the cheapest offer, both in the planning stage and in the execution stage,” says Corey. “Because in Israel the buildings are sold expensively – whether their design is good or bad – developers are not motivated to make an effort. They save on architect and materials expenses – and in the end, the projects turn out to be more expensive than they initially thought, Crying for generations. “
At the same time, there is reason for optimism: In accordance with a new regulation passed in the Knesset, starting in March 2022, all new construction in Israel will gradually be required to meet a green construction standard with a rating of at least one star, according to size and designation criteria. “In addition to the Green Building Standard dealing with energy efficiency, so its implementation allows for financial savings and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it also ensures better quality construction in a variety of other aspects that serve the tenants and the local authority,” explains Noga Hertz, professional director of the Israeli Green Building Council. For example, one of the requirements in the green building standard is the storage of some of the rainwater and allowing its infiltration into the ground in the lot area – something that can prevent flooding in the city.
Hertz defines the new obligation to meet the basic level of the green building standard throughout Israel as a revolution – but she points out that there is still room for improvement, and that it is desirable that in the future the environmental requirements to which developers are committed according to the standard will be higher. “We always want to push the standard up – and with it the quality of construction,” she concludes.
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