The project consists of a student center for the University of Haifa in Israel. The University is built on projection of the crest of Mount Caramel, Overlooking the bay of this Mediterranean city. The site chosen for building student center opens with views of the valley and the bay and has a sloping topography. At its top, adjacent to a scenic route that extends throughout the campus and ends at the same place. To not interfere with the view, the roof of the building should be under the road level. Furthermore, it should accommodate 2 main functions: the Office of the Dean and the activities of the Student Union. The latter includes offices, activity rooms, a club and a ballroom.
The planning of the building also has 2 main objectives: integrate the natural landscape, and project a clear functional dividing the building into its 2 main functions. For this, the building was designed as two wings with different spatial characteristics, volume and organization. The Dean wing is a rectangular volume, on two levels, perpendicular to the contour and stands to meet the views of the valley. The other wing of the building, Student Union, is a tiered structure, half buried in four levels arranged as a fan With its longest facade facing the view.
The ceilings in this volume were projected as green roofs To melt the topography and building of terraces and sitting areas. Between the two wings were installed an exterior corridor, discovered and staged, that will provide access to different levels. A part of the floating volume cover the outer corridor were lined with wood. The choice of materials was designed so as to express and emphasize the relationship between volumes and programmatic differences. Therefore, the Dean floating volume has been coated in metal, while the terrace walls are exposed concrete. The terraces extend beneath the floating volume and fade in topography, unifying both volumes in a unique architectural composition.
