The Ramat Hanadiv Visiting Center located in Zichron Yaakov, Israel is a lovely low-lying structure that is buried underneath its own gardens. The multi-functional space enjoys insulation from the plants and the earth, but it also has a naturally daylit corridor in the center that pulls light into all the rooms. The visitor’s center was designed by Ada Karmi-Melamede Architects in collaboration with Guy Teomi and Yuval Amitzi, and the landscape architecture was conceived by Amir Blum. Their objective…
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Ramat Hanadiv is a nature park and gardens in northern Israel and “plays a leading role in the management of natural and cultural resources based on sustainable interactions between man, nature and the environment.”
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The park started a green waste recycling program in 1994 to convert landscaping material into compost and serves as an example to gardeners and municipalities in the area.
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The gardens also feature a wastewater purification facility that treats its own wastewater and uses it for irrigation.
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The visitor center was completed in 2008 and is located between the parking lot and the vast gardens.
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Serving as the gateway to the park, the center extends approximately 150 meters in a curvilinear fashion and provides facilities for a diverse group of visitors.
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Located inside is an auditorium, classrooms, small courtyards, an exhibition space and a small cafeteria.
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Bermed on both sides by earth and vegetation, the center is heavily insulated against the sun and the weather.
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The two inclined landscape surfaces don’t quite touch in the center and a corridor, extending the length of the building, lets in natural daylight.
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Three passages cross the bermed building to allow entrance into the park and the visitor center.
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Ramat Hanadiv’s Visitors Pavilion was the first building in Israel to be granted standard certification for sustainable construction.
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Cross sections of the Ramat Hanadiv Visiting Center.
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Cross sections of the Ramat Hanadiv Visiting Center
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