Housing for All

In recent years, the Israeli government has been implementing a privatization policy in the field of housing, which has resulted in a large portion of the population not having its housing needs met. At present, there is a complete lack of correspondence in the market between housing needs and the housing under construction. The right to housing is a fundamental right that refers to more than a roof; it combines spatial and physical aspects of accessibility and proximity with employment and environmental, economic and sanitary aspects. In recent times, the family unit we are familiar with has been changing, with the emergence of more small, single-parent families and individuals who are having difficulty finding apartments that are suitable and financially affordable for them. Hence the research question is: How is it possible to promote fair and appropriate social housing within the processes of urban renewal in old cities?

The test case for the project is Fichman Histadrut Street, a residential block in Holon that is undergoing a process of evacuation and construction following the expropriation of the area for the construction of a light rail. The project proposes the option of living in a community center, with emphasis on a variety of apartments, from a single-resident apartment to apartments for families. It redefines the relationship between private and communal by removing parts of the house that we rarely use and making them available for all residents in shared spaces, thereby allowing for a reduction in the size and cost of each unit.