Shalva Association

The “Shalva” building performs two main functions: providing a physical setting for daily life for children of various ages requiring special education and releasing their families from their care for several hours every day. The plan of the building includes spaces and rooms that fulfill all

the children’s needs: playroom, treatment rooms, dining rooms, dormitories, and a sports center that includes a swimming pool.

In addition, the building also includes a kindergarten, a daycare nursery, an elementary school a 400-seat convention hall as well as the offices of the association and staff living quarters. Every floor in the building is planned on the basis of a separate program. The main design challenge was to build the program “sandwich”, one over the other, in a logical way that connects into one large building while keeping a small and intimate scale at the same time. Adjacent to the building, a public park was designed accordingly and specifically for the needs of this population.

Many visitors across the country enjoy using the park facilities.

Client:                 Shalva Association

Location:             Bait Va-Gan neighborhood, Jerusalem

Area:                    19,000 square meters