Seminar | Designing Resilience and Renewable Energy in Heritage Sites

RDFD Relevant Design for Disaster Research Group, the Sustainable Development Hub, the Polonsky Department of Industrial Design, and the Master's Program in Industrial Design are inviting you to a seminar on Designing Resilience and Renewable Energy in Heritage Sites.

Ancient cities and heritage sites - where history and tradition are woven into the alleys, rooftops, and public spaces- face a significant and timely challenge: On the one hand, they are defined by aging and fragile infrastructures; on the other, they face a rapidly shifting reality of energy consumption. This situation undermines their ability to maintain functional continuity throughout the year and weakens community resilience in the face of potential extreme events.

The summer course will focus on developing sustainable design solutions to address the challenges of energy resilience in communities located within historic towns and heritage sites. These designs aim to integrate advanced technologies for clean energy production and management, while preserving the architectural, cultural, and social identity of the place.

The Seminar kick-off workshop will be held on Wednesday, 20 August 2025, marking the beginning of this shared educational, research, and creative journey. It will include an overview of the course structure and key partners, short talks on heritage, energy, and community resilience, and an initial collaborative working session.

Moderators:
Eran Lederman, Head of the RDFD Relevan Design for Desaster Research Group
Dr. Elad Persov, Head of the Sustainable Development Hub, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem

Wednesday | August 20, 2025 | 9:30-14:30 - The complete schedule is detailed below
Room 365, 3rd floor
Nathan Drahi Research and Innovation Center
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Campus, 1 Zmora St., Jerusalem 

Agenda:

9:30 – Introduction and Welcome

10:00 – Opening
Prof. Carlo Vannicola, Professor of Industrial Design, University of Camerino, School of Architecture and Design "E. Vittoria" (SAAD)
Dr. Sara Rossini, International Students and Staff, University of Camerino

10:20 – Being an Israeli Student in Europe
Rotem Roof, Head of the Office for International Academic Relations, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem

10:40 – Heritage Preservation and Space
Prof. Arch.‎ Michael Turner, UNESCO Chairholder in Urban Design and Conservation Studies, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem

11:00 – From mineral to structure to the urban fabric materiality
Dr. Arch. Adi Sela Wiener, Academic Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Urban Design, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem

11:20 – Lunch Break

12:00 – The Experience of Domestic Electricity Consumers
Sagit Dominitz‏, Ph.D Student, Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, ‏Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

12:20 – Energy Independence as a Necessity
Elad Orion, Former CEO, Comet-Me

12:40 – Community and Energy in Emergencies
Dr. Einav Levi, School of Humanitarian Aid, Tel Aviv University

13:00 – Review of Technologies, Materials, and Methods
Students

14:00 – Summary & Wrap-up
Eran Lederman, Head of the RDFD Relevan Design for Desaster Research Group
Dr. Elad Persov, Head of the Sustainable Development Hub, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem

Eran Lederman and Dr. Elad Persov, the course lecturers
Prof. Ori Bartal, Head of the Master's Program in Industrial Design  
Nitzan Debi, Head of the Polonsky Department of Industrial Design