Yael Gilad
and Galit Shiff

Yael Gilad and Galit Shiff are founding partners of 'Gilad-Shiff architecture' studio and are senior lecturers at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. 

In the last 13 years Yael and Galit have specialized in practical work, academic research and teaching activity in the fields of climate - influenced design and Energy considerations in buildings. They have led an academic multidisciplinary research project in the topic of optimized Building Integrated Photo Voltaic envelopes, financed by ACT Shenkar, and are currently carrying out a feasibility study for implementing building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) on facades of office buildings in Israel, for the Ministry of environment protection and in collaboration with leading European firms. 

'Gilad-Shiff architecture' is among the first in Israel to perform digital bio-climatic performance simulations and is involved in pioneering projects such as ‘retro-fit’ for existing buildings for better energetic performance, roof top park and urban farm on the roof of a shopping mall in Tel Aviv, sustainable neighborhood and more. Through projects of different scales and different clients, the office seeks to create local innovative sustainable architecture, and is interested in both the environmental and the aesthetic impact. Both Yael and Galit have Master of Architecture degrees from leading European schools and Bachelor of Architecture from the Technion in Haifa, Israel.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

Since our master studies in Europe we became familiar with the influence of architecture on sustainability and climate change. After returning to Israel in 2006 and establishing our practice and academic activity it was clear to us that sustainability should be the center point of our careers. At the time, the professional interest in those issues, in the building industry here was very limited. We searched for those how tried to lead the change and our first commission was for the Green Party - An alternative sustainable plan for an untouched natural area in Herzelia that was planned to be heavily build. Later on, we used as much as possible the sustainable design and think tools that we gained during our master studies, whether it was part of the client's agenda or not. With the raised awareness for sustainability nowadays we design, consult and research, trying to promote these values in different levels of design.