Architecture

The Porter School of Environmental Studies highlights sustainable building in Israel

The Porter School of Environmental Studies highlights sustainable building in Israel
Tel Aviv University's new building, featuring its EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
Tel Aviv University's new building, featuring its EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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Extensive site analysis determined the position of the building on site (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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Extensive site analysis determined the position of the building on site (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The PSES design features a passive ventilation scheme to draw hot air out (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The PSES design features a passive ventilation scheme to draw hot air out (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
Sun studies aided the design of the facade (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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Sun studies aided the design of the facade (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
An egg-shaped meeting room pod extrudes either side of the EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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An egg-shaped meeting room pod extrudes either side of the EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The levels and balconies of the EcoWall can be utilized in a variety of ways (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The levels and balconies of the EcoWall can be utilized in a variety of ways (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The atrium space links the school building and EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The atrium space links the school building and EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The PSES is located on a hill overlooking Tel Aviv (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The PSES is located on a hill overlooking Tel Aviv (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The building was designed by Axelrod-Grobman Architects in collaboration with Geotectura Studio and Chen Architects (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The building was designed by Axelrod-Grobman Architects in collaboration with Geotectura Studio and Chen Architects (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The EcoWall is positioned to act as a sound barrier to the noise of the city (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The EcoWall is positioned to act as a sound barrier to the noise of the city (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The EcoWall and green roof will play a central role in ongoing energy, water, soil, vegetation and materials studies at the university (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The EcoWall and green roof will play a central role in ongoing energy, water, soil, vegetation and materials studies at the university (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The balconies also facilitate plug-in study pods that create extra room for the school (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The balconies also facilitate plug-in study pods that create extra room for the school (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The EcoWall will be used as a green architecture research lab (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The EcoWall will be used as a green architecture research lab (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
Environmental data gathered by the school will be displayed on the egg shaped capsule meeting room, covered in programmable LED lights (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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Environmental data gathered by the school will be displayed on the egg shaped capsule meeting room, covered in programmable LED lights (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
Tel Aviv University's new building, featuring its EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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Tel Aviv University's new building, featuring its EcoWall (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The 3700 sq mt (39,826 sq ft) building will use cost-effective chilled beam cooling technology (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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The 3700 sq mt (39,826 sq ft) building will use cost-effective chilled beam cooling technology (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
Founded by Dame Shirley Porter, the school is the only multidisciplinary graduate research and teaching institution of environmental studies in Israel (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
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Founded by Dame Shirley Porter, the school is the only multidisciplinary graduate research and teaching institution of environmental studies in Israel (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
View gallery - 16 images

A new building at Tel Aviv University features a standalone EcoWall that aims to provide vertical garden space and research facilities for its faculty. The university's Porter School of Environmental Studies (PSES) hopes that its new green building design will not only join the small number of LEED certified buildings in the country, but will also highlight sustainable methodologies for future buildings in Israel.

Located on a hill overlooking Tel Aviv, the building was designed by Axelrod-Grobman Architects in collaboration with Geotectura Studio and Chen Architects. After extensive analysis of the site, the design team used data about the prevailing wind direction, sun exposure and acoustics to determine the most sustainable orientation of the building plan. As a result, the EcoWall will act as a sound barrier to city noise through its position and use of plants on the balconies. The balconies can also accommodate plug-in study pods that create extra rooms for the school.

The glass facade that links the EcoWall to the main building permits a flood of daylight into the public atrium space between the two structures. To counteract any greenhouse type warming from all this glass, the design features a passive ventilation scheme that draws hot air up and discharges it through chimneys incorporated into the building's skin.

The 3700 sq mt (39,826 sq ft) building will use cost-effective chilled beam cooling technology (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)
The 3700 sq mt (39,826 sq ft) building will use cost-effective chilled beam cooling technology (Image: Axelrod-Grobman Architects)

The 3,700 sq m (39,826 sq ft) building will also use a cost-effective chilled beam cooling system, that works by circulating interior and outdoor air through mounted chilled water coils and then redistributing it back into the space to regulate the temperature.

The EcoWall and green roof of the building will become a sustainable architecture research lab, and both will play a central role in ongoing energy, water, soil, vegetation and materials studies at the university. Additional sustainable features include 50kw solar panels, biological pools and grey water harvesting that will prove vital in this drought-prone region. Environmental data gathered by the school will be displayed on the egg-shaped capsule meeting room that extrudes in both directions from the EcoWall.

Founded by Dame Shirley Porter, a former Lord Mayor of Westminster in London, the school is the only multidisciplinary graduate research and teaching institution of environmental studies in Israel. With only three other LEED-certified buildings in the country, PSES hopes to achieve LEED platinum status upon completion later this year.

Source: Axelrod-Grobman Architects via ArchDaily

View gallery - 16 images
2 comments
2 comments
Rob Krebs
Cool building – thanks for sharing, Donna Taylor! It’s great that Israel is focusing on green building methodologies, and achieving LEED certification is a great start. These “checklist” programs can often miss the bigger picture when it comes to building performance and sustainability. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) looks at the full life cycle of each and all the products used and can therefore provide a better view of a building’s environmental overall impact. Furthermore, building performance and how much energy a building can save over time are not criteria measured by LEED. These can often define sustainability.
For more on green building solutions & Life Cycle Assessment, visit: http://www.facebook.com/lifecycleassessment & http://www.greenbuildingsolutions.org/Main-Menu/Single-Attribute-Only-Small-Part-of-LCA.pdf
Rob Krebs, Market Innovations, American Chemistry Council
RockoMor
Its an amazing Building. Dame shirley porter , former Leader of Westminster was the founder. apparently she made lot's of changes in Tel aviv Found few links, if its interesting for you Rob http://www.theguardian.com/travel/1999/feb/28/foodanddrink.jayrayneronrestaurants.restaurants http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Green-Knesset-team-Tel-Aviv-Porter-School-explore-environmental-collaboration-opportunities-345448