As part of the Israeli government’s decision to increase its nationwide electricity generation, several plans were set in motion for the construction of privately owned and operated power stations across the country.

Establishing Israel’s largest privately owned power station, which will employ state-of-the-art electricity generation technology based on natural gas from the reserves recently discovered off the coast of the state.

Dalia Power Energies Power Station is built on the basis of National Infrastructure Plan No. 29a.

It is the largest private power station in Israel. It produces 870MW, operates on natural gas and in accordance with regulation includes diesel fuel backup. The production units operate in natural gas fired technology that are fed to advanced gas turbines, where exhaust gas is used to produce 50% more electricity without additional burning of fuel. As a result, the efficiency rate reaches close to 60%.

The entrepreneurs behind Tzafit are the Israeli company Dalia Power Energies and the international corporation Alstom Power. Dalia Power Energies is the license holder of the approximately 1 billion dollar scope project.

The station is located in Tzafit North site, in the southern coast of Israel, in close proximity to Israel Electrics’ power and switching station. In addition to the heart of the project – two gas turbine operated production units – Dalia Station includes offices and welfare areas, various technological sites, workshops, and control and supervision buildings.
The site was selected after an in-depth examination by the Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources, of four alternative sites: Hagit, Mavo Carmel, Tzafit and Gat.

The examination took into account many environmental criteria, including proximity to nature values, possible damage to archeological sites, surrounding scenery and views, noise and air pollution and seismic risks. Additional design criteria included the use of land, compliance with statutory plans, accessibility and connection to infrastructures.
Since July 2015, the power station has been supplying 7% of the total demand for electricity in Israel.

The Ashalim site was selected by the national council in 2004, following the recommendations of a professional team for the examination of locations for solar power stations in Israel’s south region.

Three stations are located on the site – two solar thermal stations each with a 121 megawatt capacity, and a photovoltaics plant with a 30 megawatt capacity.

The Ashalim Power Plant was built using the BSE technology based on the solar tower method. In line with this method, a heliostats field was installed which is composed of computerized mirrors following the sun’s movement. The light reflected from the mirrors is directed towards a receptor at the top of the solar tower, which heats the water to more than 550 degrees celsius, and a pressure of more than 150 Atmospheres, generating electricity through steam.

The station has three main areas:

1. The heliostats field – a solar field composed of 50,000 computerized mirrors spanning an area of 260 hectares; the largest component of the station.
2. The solar tower – at the height of 250 m, the solar tower is composed of concrete constructions coated with a stainless-steel mesh of interchanging density, which is supported by a system of thin steel rods and cables; thus, an interesting interaction between light and shadow is created. The casing was designed by the architects  Eran Ziv and Yizhar Kedmi, who won an international design competition.
3. The power block area – a complex of maintenance and operations building intended for electricity generation, as is customary for steam-based facilities. After flowing through the turbine, the steam returns to the solar tower and condenses back into water for reuse. This area is located in the center of the site and spans an area of 3.5 hectares.

From a visual perspective, we emphasized the appearance of the station from both its near and far environments, taking into account the proportions of the station’s different components.

The heliostats field and Power Block, which are essentially horizontal elements and take up most of the station’s land, are observed against the ground, while the vertical element of the solar tower is observed against the sky and stands out as an icon amongst the desert surroundings.

The finishing materials we used purposefully interact with and reflect the environment’s hues – the horizontal elements reflect the different shades of the nearby hills and the yellow-brown ground layers are reflected in the Power Block’s coloration, while the solar tower is designed to reflect the sky’s hues as they appear in real-time.

The recycling plant sorts and separates most of the Tel Aviv area refuse to its components – especially those with high caloric value – in order to produce RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel).
RDF is to replace a substantial part of the fuel used today in the production process of the cement at the Nesher Plant in Ramla.
As part of the production process of the RDF, byproducts are created and repurposed and by that support pro-environmental efforts.

The plant is the first facility of its kind to be built in Israel and one of the largest worldwide.

Transforming the immense amount of waste gathered at the site to a source of energy by designing a state of the art recycling plant. Its location at the center of the area’s main landfill cuts down on harmful byproducts and costs involved in transporting the waste to a landfill further afield in the Negev.

The design incorporates several elements and principles. First, the plant was designed to make optimal use of the relatively small plot area while maintaining the linearity of the production process, thus avoiding needless movements and ensuring minimal storage days. Moreover, we wished to provide an architectural expression of the mountain slope by terracing the building’s roof for smoother blending with the mountain scenery. Since this is a recycling plant, we were particular about applying green building principles and using recyclable and perishable materials as much as possible. In this regard, we wished to expose park visitors to the special process of recycling as part of the plant’s design. In addition, the view of the plan from the surroundings e.g.- highway 4, the mountain etc, was also taken into consideration. The design interferes as little as possible with the surrounding environment and contributes to the dispersion of traffic loads, as well as takes into consideration the diversion plans for the nearby Ayalon river.
Lastly, the design nurtures the “fifth elevation”.

The complex answers the need of the commissioning organization for an integrated development and production complex, which includes the construction of a hangar, office building, as well as a shed for equipment and a laboratory. In addition, the complex includes all of the necessary infrastructure, supporting systems and land development measures, needed to fulfil its operational requirements.

The architectural vision emphasizes the need for a functional working area, fitted to the exact needs of the operation, alongside a modular plan which enables maximal flexibility and adaptability to any future changes and projects.

The complex’s design encompasses several principles such as creating physical proximity between the administrative and production areas, putting the rigid components of the structure (staircases/toilets/shelter etc.) in one place, designing the laboratories based on best practices for their operation and maintenance, and maximising the contact between the different structures and the complex’s envelope.

The design had to facilitate early construction efforts necessitated by the short construction schedule.

The use of composite materials in general industrial applications and in the aeronautics industry in particular, is growing due to their low weight relative to their strength. In the aeronautics industry, where weight is of critical importance, the use of composite materials offers substantially improved fuel consumption and considerable economical savings.

With the expansion of this field within the IAI, there was a need to gather all the activities relating to composite materials under one roof.

Establishing a speciality knowledge center that will promote the IAI as a leader in this field.

The plant, located in the center of Israel, contains the following key elements: cooling rooms for different raw materials that require different cooling settings; refrigeration facilities for various adhesives; tools and templates areas; foyers; clean rooms adjusted  to the appropriate operational standards; finishing and hardening areas (autoclaves and ovens of all kinds) and processing and cutting areas.

The large office area that’s located on the second floor houses the headquarters, administrative, marketing and planning personnel. Offices for supervisors and quality testers are located on the production floor.

The design is composed of horizontal lines that emphasize the length of the building, and its beehive commotion. The intervals of vertical nuclei support vertical transportation components such as stairs, elevators, plumbing, etc.

The biotechnology building in Hadassah Ein Kerem is the first stage of the construction of a 60,000 sq.m complex, which is planned for the north-western slope of the campus.

The project is a joint effort of the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital and is a complex structure, nine stories high (including basement), spanning over approximately 16,000 sq.m.

Designating a specialized area for biotechnological research and laboratories, a complex that will make better use of shared resources while also enabling and encouraging collaboration and cooperation between different R&D groups that inhabit the space.

In order to seamlessly integrate with the environment and the area’s characteristic topography, the building was terraced in two perpendicular directions while maintaining the structure’s functional operations, requiring continuous orthogonal spaces that are also flexible enough to accommodate any future changes.

The core of the structure includes all service functions and is located alongside the slope, thus enabling maximum exposure to the special landscape from the remaining three directions.

The typical floor plan is outlined in a way that supports the separation between “clean” and “not clean” areas and provides maximum flexibility for the allocation of space required for the building’s various designated activities.

The design of the building aims to create and maintain a dialogue with its surrounding environment – it was built so that other buildings located further up the slope will not be blocked from view, and its fifth elevation is treated in a particular manner, whereas the finishing materials communicate with the existing structures in its vicinity.