Project:

The Sheetrit Complex project is an urban renewal project located in the Ahdut neighborhood in Petah Tikva. The complex is located between the streets Henrietta Szold to the north, Asaf Simhoni to the south, and along both sides of Sheetrit Street which connects them. The area of the complex is approximately 31 dunams (7.7 acres), and it currently houses 330 residential units located in 5 railway buildings and 15 H-type buildings that were constructed in the mid-1960s and 1970s. In terms of the urban fabric, Sheetrit Street continues the Rav Maimon Street from the north, but does not connect to Sinai Street in the south. Adjacent to the complex from the west is a large public area that includes a high school and a cluster of kindergartens. The surrounding urban texture is characterized by low-rise buildings with up to 9 floors that are also intended for renewal.

The main goal of the revitalization of the area was to create pedestrian connections through integration to the existing urban grid; and to establish a variety of high-quality public spaces within the proposed traffic layout. To achieve this, the southern part of Sheetrit Street was extended eastward and connected to Sinai Street; an action that divided the area into two trapezoidal complexes. The next step was to create a pedestrian axis from east to west, connecting the area to the existing pedestrian pathways in the neighborhood.

Henrietta Szold Street which defines the project from the north is expanded as a main transportation axis in the urban master plan. The project creates a commercial frontage towards this street to redefine and enhance it, and creates a pedestrian passage along it through a covered colonnade. From the south, Asaf Simhoni Street is defined as a secondary urban street, so we chose to place the public building along it, connecting it to an existing public space and enlarging it. Along the diverted Sheetrit Street various open public spaces are located: starting from an urban square in the southern part, through a wide neighborhood garden located at the intersection of pedestrian paths leading to public buildings, and up to small and intimate pocket gardens that enrich the open space. This rich variety of spaces aims to meet the diverse needs of the population in the project and at the same time provide drainage and infiltration of rainwater.

The existing population in the area is diverse and includes families from different religious backgrounds, elderly people who are native to the area, and young couples starting their lives together. In response to this uniqueness, the project offers a diverse mix of construction, including residential units. The construction consists of several towers located along the main urban axes, with low-rise buildings positioned in the heart of the area to preserve the community character of the new neighborhood. The placement of the towers also takes into account shading and climatic factors, ensuring minimal shading of the open spaces and the built environment.