There’s a country in the Middle East that’s been embarking on
a massive construction spree.
But we’re not talking about the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
This is Israel, where half-built high-rises have been popping up
and dominating the skyline for years.
Now a global hub for innovation — from start-ups to tech giants like Microsoft —
and home to a growing population,
demand for bigger buildings and infrastructure is on the rise.
Getting the construction industry to adapt to this growing workload
hasn’t been easy, but technology is leading the way.
This is how construction in Israel is gathering some serious speed.
If you’ve been to Tel Aviv in the last few years,
chances are you've probably seen a lot of these.
In fact, it’s become a nationwide trend.
Cranes sprouting up in all directions
is now a common sight right across the country,
and that’s because there’s been a lot to do.
Between July 2021 and June 2022
more than 72,000 homes began construction across Israel.
That’s the highest figure since the 1990s, when it experienced a
wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union.
30 years later, the reasons for this new construction push are fairly
similar. Israel’s population is soaring, meaning a lot more homes are needed,
as well as new infrastructure to support them.
At the end of 2022 the country reached almost 9.7 million residents —
an increase of two million in just over a decade.
There’s not much space in the main cities,
so a lot of the new housing is being delivered as high-rises.
Although Israel has fewer actual skyscrapers
than other countries in the region,
there is one building in the works that will break its current height record —
and by some distance.
The Azrieli Spiral Tower in Tel Aviv is set to become the country’s first
supertall skyscraper when it completes in 2026, with a planned height of 350 metres.
Designed by Kohn Pederson Fox, it’s the very definition of a mixed-use building.
Above the base that’s dedicated to retail there’ll be offices
followed by residences and a hotel,
with the floor plates gradually narrowing as the tower rises.
There's been loads going on on the infrastructure side too,
but by far the biggest task of all is Tel Aviv’s new mass transit system.
Described as the largest and most complex transport project
in Israel’s history, it consists of three light rail and three metro lines,
with the first due to open in April 2023.
24 km long, the route will run from Bat Yam in the
south to several smaller cities on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, like Bnei Brak.
Here, the built environment is a lot more low-rise,
but it is beginning to change thanks to new schemes like this — called HYP.
A joint project between Amot Investments and Allied Real Estate,
the 52-storey building will offer 85,000 square metres
of office and commercial space.
This tower is just one example of how buildings across Israel aren’t
just increasing in number and getting taller;
they’re becoming more complex too.
Over in Jerusalem, construction of the Consulate Towers is being
carried out in an area with unusually difficult terrain.
And in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, a new auditorium for Reichman University
is proving challenging.
To get the finished result looking like this,
contractor Sade Projects is having to work with high ceilings,
beams that weigh over 50 tonnes and a glass facade —
all features that are potentially problematic.
Surely, then, this has made things more difficult for the construction sector here.
How are the companies responsible for delivering these projects
stepping up to the task?
Well, in a place known for innovating it’s unsurprising that tech is helping
Israel’s industry rise to the challenge —
particularly the use of building information modelling, or BIM.
Now, that’s a lot more than just 3D modelling — it’s a data-rich digital
working environment that allows construction
teams to collaboratively organise and coordinate a project’s key information.
That all works to boost speed and efficiency
while minimising errors and cutting waste.
Although the country was at first slow to adopt BIM as compared to elsewhere,
that all changed when the Ministry of Defense made
it mandatory – convincing much of the country’s wider market to do the same.
The tech may have taken off, but for many,
extracting the right data from the coordinated graphical information models
that are produced in a BIM environment remains pretty difficult.
It can be hard to find what you want,
whether you’re a design manager like Eliav or someone who’s less
familiar with digital tools – especially on complex projects.
But that's where today's sponsor comes in.
BIMSearch is an easy-to-use project management platform
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By doing their job directly on the model,
users can effectively calculate quantities in seconds,
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Then there's the ability to easily catch design errors
and ensure that subcontractors know what they need to do,
all without needing experience with complex information modelling software.
BIMSearch is helping teams save time on projects all across Israel,
from the Mediterranean to the capital.
Getting projects completed faster is always going to be something to aim for,
no matter where you are in the world.
Here though, the construction sector is coming under particularly heavy pressure.
To keep hitting its targets,
Israel needs to keep building around 70,000 homes every year.
They might have their work cut out, but the country’s construction companies
are in a much better position than they were,
and there’s little doubt that new tech has had a big part to play.
Sights like these might turn out to be temporary in other places,
but you can’t help but feel that this wave of activity has only just begun.
This video was made possible by BIMSearch —
you can learn more about that at the link below.
There’s also the chance to dive deeper on this and other topics on our channel
over on The World’s Best Construction Podcast —
available now wherever you get your podcasts.
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