Konoha

++Design development:

The existing town of Ein-Hud has a population of 207 residents who have established their houses along the western slope of the site facing the town of Ein-Hod. The mosque, which is the only civic structure for the town’s residents, acts as the civic core of the present town with all the houses surrounding it. The master plan attempts to implement this essential pattern on a larger scale, by zoning essential public amenities such as, Community center, Open Market Square and school, in the center of the new town. The residential development will take place surrounding this civic core. To preserve the pedestrian character of the existing town, a single central infrastructure spine is proposed to offer vehicular accessibility to the civic buildings. All other streets that offer access to residential units are planned to be pedestrian streets with minimal vehicular traffic, to provide a more intimate experience

The civic amenities are planned according to the stage wise development of the town. In the first stage, a new school and medical clinic will be developed along with the access from road no.4. This development will take place around the immediate vicinity of the existing town. The connection between the school and mosque will be enhanced by a common open space between them. The medical clinic is planned to be in the outskirts of the existing town for solitude and views towards natural vegetation of the valley below.

In the second stage the town will expand along the central spine with the development of community center for the town and the open market square, which will aid in the growth of the town from the social and economical point of view. The open market square is placed along the ridge of the mountainside offering excellent vistas of the Mediterranean Sea. The agricultural zone will also be developed during this stage, in the northern valley to exploit the potential of fruit plantation and natural run-off of water.

In the final stage, the administrative core of the city hall, police station and fire station will be developed on the central spine marking the entry to the town. Tourists will be encouraged to experience the town along its pedestrian streets, and sufficient parking space will be provided in the outskirts of the town for their vehicles.

Residential units are developed along the slopes going towards the valley. The units situated in the lower regions have been planned to be of higher density and greater height taking into account the future growth in population and also maintaining a skyline of the town. The residential units are planned to be in the form of clusters that share a common open space to improve the sense of community. Similar patterns are evident within the existing built environment in which there are grouping of houses around an open space.

++Architectural Design

The community center along with the central open market square form the heart of the town. It is situated along the central ridge and offers view of the Mediterranean Sea over the valley in the southwest. The siting of the community center is between the two activities of education and commerce, which the center is associated to. This aspect has been carried forward in the architectural design of the community center. The activities related to schoolchildren and daycares are placed facing the school playground for easier access. In the same way social and commercial activities like the multi-purpose main hall and the restaurant with outdoor seating are placed facing the open market square. There is a central courtyard provided for natural ventilation and ramps run around the periphery for vertical access.

The larger art gallery is placed isolated from the main building and it overlooks the open market square. The smaller art galleries are placed on the upper storey alongside the artist’s studios and meeting rooms. The second floor also houses the main library for the town. This division of activities into upper and lower is done to keep the more social and regularly used activities in the lower, more accessible floor, while the more private and silent activities are placed in the upper floors.