Surroundings / Young architects on show

The third biennale for young architects, "40/40," opens today in the gallery of the Architects House at 15 Migdalor Street in Jaffa. The Architects Association launched the exhibition, held every two years, "to provide a platform for the next generation of architects" and to expose "the work and ideas of prominent young architects in Israel."

The exhibition, curated by architect Hanan Pomagrin, 38, in conjunction with a committee from the Architects Association, features 10 projects by 10 groups of architects under the age of 40. Some of the architects featured have their own firms and others are employees who worked on an independent project in their spare time. The projects vary from public buildings to private homes and the interior design of stores. Four of the projects stress the relevance of sustainable construction, a prevailing trend over the last few years in the international architectural arena, primarily among young architects who adopt contemporary trends and identify an unfilled niche.

Three of the environmental projects are outside Israel; the architects who designed them studied or worked in the United States, where awareness of the issue is high and has even been internalized in the planning agencies of many states and cities. Among the projects are a youth activity center, Granma, in Austin, Texas, designed by architect Orit Edrei Nezer. The center, which serves the city's Hispanic community, was planned and built in the spirit of the Leeds convention for green construction that the city adopted. So, for example, in line with the convention, the building has thick walls and deep openings, given the area's climate. The finishing materials are found locally, in accordance with the regulation requiring cutting back on transportation methods to cut back on pollution and traffic; the floor is made of divided concrete with no veneer of tiles, not necessarily for aesthetic reasons, but to reduce unnecessary consumption of construction materials. Edrei Nezer is a graduate of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's Faculty of Architecture in Haifa who has worked in Texas and Arizona. Austin, she says, is a city full of lush greenery (not just Texas cacti), lakes and rivers and is known for public awareness of environmental issues, despite the anti-environment policies of President George Bush.

Another environmental project featured in the exhibition is "Green Residence," designed by Ronit Biton in Beit Lehem Haglilit, using sustainable materials, thermal insulation and "gray" water for irrigation. Some concept projects in this area include Beit Afik in the Arizona desert designed by Eran Kaftan, a graduate of the University of Arizona and a house at latitude 1 and longitude 81, designed by architects Shai Yeshayahu and Maria Vara, of the University of Southern Illinois, to suit an that is prone to earthquakes and endures common climactic phenomena such as El Nino and La Nina.

The exhibition also features the interior design of the Sigal Dekel store in Neveh Tzedek by Iris Horowitz Chelouche and that of the Odem fashion accessory stores designed by Ori Ronen and Shani Hai; the public building Ben Yehuda House in Jerusalem, designed by the architectural firm in which the curator is a partner; and a series of private homes: a home in Bnei Zion designed by Orit Axelrod, a two-family home in Kiryat Ono designed by Mark Tofilsky and a private home in an unnoted location, designed by Moran Palmoni.

A mature profession

The common denominator in the exhibition is the small scale of building dictated by the relative youth of the architects. The definition adopted by the Architects Association of one who under 40 is common around the world. Unlike the high-tech field, for example, architecture is considered a "mature" profession and not just in Israel, where potential architects only begin their studies after completing army service and the requisite trek to India.

The breakthroughs for many architects, including Louis Kahn and Frank Gehry, came in only their sixth decade (and many began their career by designing private homes for relatives); the British journal Architectural Review holds an annual competition known as "Rising Voices" for architects under 45, and the American Architecture Association defines a young architect as someone who has had a working license for less than 10 years, regardless of one's age.

"The exhibition features small projects, mainly villas," says curator Hanan Pomagrin, "because that's what young architects in Israel get." In Israel it is seen as a profession that is a default option, but in practice offers a vast area for personal expression, experience and a livelihood for many architects (without for now getting into the environmental damage caused by this form of construction).

In the United States, for example, most suburban houses are essentially standard off the shelf products selected from catalogs, and not commissioned and carefully designed by architects. In Israel, however, "everyone wants something special, personal," says Pomagrin. Despite the complaints of many young architects, "I have a feeling that here there are more work opportunities than there are in big American cities, for example, where inclusion in projects is reserved for experienced architects or major stars."

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Surroundings / Young architects on show