EMC- East Mediterranean College in the Green Village | YOAV MESSER ARCHITECTS

Background: The site is situated in the green village witch is in the center of Israel 12km from Tel-Aviv and 60 km from Jerusalem. The campus site is on a 10.5 Dunham plot, and is 8500 sqm built area. The site is situated in the green village, which according to future plans of the area, the site will be the seam between public building area on the west side and the student residential area on the east side. The project contains an educational campus for 200 students. Part of the campus is a boarding school with all the facilities needed to accommodate students from all over the world. It contains many functions such as: Administration & medical center, Academic center, multipurpose hall, art& science center, library, cafeteria, student dormitories, faculty residence and sport facilities. The campus is part of the built architectural lace that makes the green village which has particular character. In our design we took under consideration the place, position, function and cultural context both international and local. We aimed to give a modern interpretation to the spirit of the existing place: the position of the buildings, building typology, climate and culture. Another goal was to create a campus that would be active through all hours of the day a place that the students can call home even after hours. Furthermore, we incorporated principles of sustainable architecture, which are relevant to every building especially in a school that puts this subject in the center of its curriculum. Concept: Mixed use, open end, local VS international and sustainability. Mixed use- all the public functions of the school are placed on the ground floor and the student dormitories on the upper floors to create a gradual transition from public space to private space. Open end- the plan takes into consideration the current circulation and the future one of the village, it's an open end campus which means no fences surrounding the school and that the school paths are aligned with the village paths. Design- the design is inspired by the classic international image of a house, like in children drawings. We used this image and manipulated it in a way that integrated climatic principals, modern materials and references from the existing typology. Sustainability: Preservation of the open space- the mass of sqft required is large, by dissemble the mass into a number of smaller buildings we keep by disassembling the scale of the village and create a sense of open space, more options of circulation and more viewpoints. Flexible program- the design language is simple and the spaces are flexible to inhabit various types of facilities so the building can adapt to changes in its use. Typology- the typology of many buildings in smaller scale enables us to build in stages without creating unpleasant areas in the phases that are in-between. Movement and parking- the parking is planned according to the town planning. They are planned in concentrated areas which decrease car use, trails and paths support walking and bicycle use. Climate: According to the LEED principles: In the physical level: The long elevations face north\south, using the sun and light in an efficient way. Opening windows (interior) and spaces (exterior) in the east\west facades allows ventilation in the interior spaces and allows the wind from south east through the school into the village. Incorporating an exterior shading system for the interior space and for the pathways. Planting trees make for a dynamic shading system for the outside areas Use of local vegetation which does not require high maintenance. In the technological level: Photovoltaic cells\solar cells, installed on the rooftops to create green electricity. The hot water on site is a byproduct of the solar system. The HVAC system is supported by the geothermic system that reduces the energy consumption. Hoarding rain water from the roof tops and reuse for watering. Grey water for reuse. Condense water from the HVAC system for reuse. The glazing on the west elevations will be LOW E glass that screens heat and lets the light enter. Ecological pool for decoration as well as micro climate, a natural way to clean the water. Meticulous thermal isolation details.