The Negev School of Architecture was inaugurated
The nothing less than historical inauguration event of the SCE School of Architecture was attended by the 1st class students and their families, college officials, staff members and many guests. Welcoming addresses were made by two of the school’s visionaries and partners to its materialization – Be'er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, and College Rector Prof. Jehuda Haddad, as well as by the head of the new school – Architect Netanel Alfasi.
As part of the cooperation already being formed between the new SCE School of Architecture and the French Cultural Institute and the French Embassy in Israel, an online lecture by French-Swiss Architect Philippe Rahm was screened.
“Establishing the SCE School of Architecture in the Negev”, said Prof. Haddad, “will provide a solution to the accelerated development of Israel’s south as a region of advanced hi-tech industries and research centers, and a breakthrough for the Negev in general. This is also good news for the young people of the region, who had to travel to the central and northern regions to acquire knowledge in this important field”.
Be'er Sheva Mayor, Ruvik Danilovich, said: “The SCE Shamoon Academic College of Engineering School of Architecture is making history by training the first course of new architects right here in the Negev. In the new age, the next generation of architects will have to dream big and insist on realizing these dreams. Thanks to the training the school staff will award the students, and thanks to a lot of imagination and creativity, we will be able to generate the required change and turn the Negev into a national coveted region and thereby fulfil the Zionist vision of settling the Negev – which, with a little bit of creativity, can offer a solution to the national housing crisis”.
Arch. Alfasi, in his greeting added: “The School of Architecture in the Negev being launched today is unique on many aspects, beginning with the curriculum, which in the spirit of the college, places the focus on the students, and to its unique location: Negev, the desert and the Be'er Sheva metropolis. These provide a new and fresh outlook based on the region’s special features and as residents here during their studies, will get to know at first hand all of the factors that make this region what it is. I would first and foremost, like to thank Prof. Jehuda Haddad – for dreaming, initiating and establishing the school at the college, Mayor Ruvik Danilovich – for the t support, the college team and the school staff – who are working hard to enable us to train the next generation of excellent architects, and of course – our students– for your faith in us by choosing this school”.
The first-degree study program, B.Arch., includes five years of study at university fees, and will award the graduates with a “tool box” for good design, building preservation, use of technological tools and extensive knowledge on sustainability and innovation.
