Located in the rapidly-growing edge city of Ashkelon, this 80,000 m² redevelopment masterplan will add 1,305 residential units to a new urban center. For a city like Ashkelon, which was long on the margins of the Israeli periphery, there is an urgent need for more dense residential fabrics that also know how to include mixed uses of commercial, public, and green spaces.
HQ Architects's masterplan is based on three key principles: (1) multiple, distinct building typologies that can fit the disparate needs of diverse populations; (2) enhanced connectivity with road networks, bike lanes, and rich green parks and gardens that accompany pedestrians along their journeys; (3) preservation of the existing commercial center that has long been the center of the social and communal life of residents. The crown jewel of the plan is the rebirth of HaThiya street as a local and citywide promenade, and as a platform for local businesses to thrive, retaining the communal character of the neighbourhood.
The plan is divided into three compounds that are designed to be executed independently, allowing for developers to work in tandem with residents' needs and ensure a gradual pace of redevelopment. The first compound will feature 312 new residential units and 2,870 m² commercial space. The second, 388 new residential units and 1,350 m² commercial use, and the third compound will be solely residential. The masterplan also includes 3000 m² of kindergarten and social day care facilities that will cater for young families, a key local demographic.
Our landscape approach works hand-in-hand with the architecture and traffic planning, in which all the parking spaces are built into the ground floor. In turn, this parking plinth is hidden behind a gentle green slope, revealing a green public space that plays with depth and height and creates a seamless meeting between the built space and open space.
