Second year housing studio.

After years of neglect, Tel Aviv Yaffo’s planning authority is looking to develop its southern area according to a new strategic plan “Tel Aviv 5000”. The plan intends to evacuate the existing workshops and allow construction of buildings as high as 15 floors mainly for residential use with some office and retail programs. The intention is sensible, the city is in dire need for more housing to catch up with high demands. Furthermore, the neighborhood of Florentin and its immediate surroundings is an obvious choice due to its very low density. The problem is that the plan overlooks the neighborhood’s strongest asset, its unique identity as a place for creating things. Florentin is home to many of the city’s last remaining carpentries, upholsteries, car mechanics and many art studios. The coming surge of construction should bolster the site’s unique identity and build upon it, not eradicate it.  These conditions form the basis for the planing of a block located at the crossroads between the expansive neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, the historic Eilat st., Florentin and Yaffo.