יום שני, 5 בדצמבר 2016



Project: To re-think the educational system, through Space, Urban Design and Architecture.



“Informal Education”, in the heart of Jesse Cohen:
A new environment of Apprenticeship

Creating a new educational system, based on Urban Design
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While Holon is intended to be the Children’s city in Israel, its southwest district named Jesse Cohen does not benefit from such a good reputation. Well known as a problematic area since many years, the neighborhood of Jesse Cohen keeps raising the question of a better Future. Several initiatives were taken in this district in order to compensate or redress the disastrous academic level and low social class. While dozens of playgrounds were spread all over the neighborhood and placed in its smallest interstices; few institutions devoted for children and teenagers were also established in order to supervise the young generation of Jesse Cohen. Yet, the district suffers from criminality and school failure. Hence, the project is to re-invent an educational system, based on “informal studies” after school. The goal is to offer new opportunities to children and parents, to participate, learn, create and take part in the society. Reinvigorating Jesse Cohen according to the youngster population. Moreover, the district does not contain a public place, essential and central area for all the inhabitants. Hence, the project aims to create a new network of informal, participative and educational activities – based on a public place, accessible for everyone. Also, this central place would give access to a new and main axe that serves each school and institutions in the area, for the purposes of becoming a new pedestrian spine dedicated for children.

תגובה 1:

WCBC אמר/ה...

I think that this approach demands a physical engagement and a personal immersion in the site. The idea of defining the architect's role as an educator is interesting. Could you for example imagine conducting a workshop with the neighborhood's teens? One might expect that as young people are hanging in the streets, they gather and stock a great deal of knowledge about the streets and urban geography. What do you, as architect, have to teach them? what do you can learn from them? what parts of both parties' knowledge could useful? Is it possible to build a platform for un-formal or un-official body of street knowledge? Could you develop a tool that might engage both parties or transform those young people into better urban geographers?
Having said that, as I mentioned, there is openness on the behalf of Holon municipality to develop a "project" for street arts (education, exhibition, etc.).