Architect Dr. Yossi Kori – His ecological apartment is a reflection of the beauty and sublime of Haifa

Between Spain and Portugal: The family roots that led to the project

From deportation from Spain to a new ecological apartment (Airbnb apartment) by architect Dr. Yossi Kori, located in the Hadar neighborhood in Haifa - only two and a half blocks separate him from the place where his grandparents lived for decades: from the 15s to the mid-XNUMXs. But the story of this apartment begins much earlier, namely in the XNUMXth century.

I live here too: the people whose lives are shaped by urban identity

The "I Live Here Too" section opens a window into the homes of residents of Haifa and the surrounding area with the goal of getting to know the people behind the doors — not through technical details of the size of the apartment or the value of the real estate, but through their personal stories, unique perspectives, and the connection between them and the city in which they chose to live.

The observation of the living space is done with the understanding that the home is not just a structure — it is an expression of values, a lifestyle, and sometimes even a social perception. A deep connection to the local and community environment becomes an integral part of sustainable design, one that strives for energy efficiency as well as a life of belonging, culture, and mutual consideration.

Dr. Yossi Kori, a Haifa architect specializing in ecological planning

In this episode, we will be staying in the unique apartment of Dr. Yossi Kori, a Haifa architect specializing in ecological planning. His apartment is located near the Talpiot Market – an urban space that combines lively commercial traffic with a growing local social network. The house reflects an architectural worldview that believes in a direct connection between man and place, between responsible planning and a living community. Kori demonstrates how sustainable design is not limited to materials or technology, but relies first and foremost on a deep familiarity with the urban environment and the desire to integrate meaningful life into it.

From the town of Kori to the city of Haifa: The Kori family's journey of exile since the expulsion from Spain

Yossi Kori's family bears the name of the city Kori (dreaming of the letter V), which was a small town on the border of Spain and Portugal, from which the ancestors of the family were probably expelled during the Spanish Expulsion. From there began the wanderings that lasted for centuries: through Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cairo – to Kiryat Ata and finally to Haifa.

This journey, full of hardships and formative historical events, ended in an ecological and cultural family venture whose purpose is not only touristic.

Cory chose to locate the apartment in an area full of personal memories, turning it into a kind of small family museum. It is furnished with artwork and historical photographs, the most personal and emotional of which is a rare photo from Cairo in the 1940s – showing his grandparents, his father as a baby, and two aunts – all photographed walking down the street, all dressed with great care.

In the center of the photo: The boy in the photo, who is Yossi's father, is holding a polar bear toy, which today is supposedly a symbol of a world that was and was forgotten, a world that existed before the climate crisis became a global threat.

Thus, a small apartment in Haifa became a living monument to exile, immigration, culture, and memory.

The Corrie Family in Cairo: Between Cinemas and Cultural Prestige

Yossi Kori's grandparents lived in Cairo from 1932 to 1953, near Tahrir Square—the beating heart of a large, multicultural city. The grandfather came from Turkey, while the grandmother's parents came from Greece, and together they integrated into a bustling neighborhood where many of the city's foreigners lived.

Cairo in those days was a truly cosmopolitan hub, and it was not without reason that a diverse community of Europeans, Greeks, Jews, Syrians, and Lebanese was drawn there. The grandparents' home was located not far from prestigious cinemas and cafes, and they lived a life of cultural comfort that will forever be remembered as a personal "golden age."

1952

Their stay in Cairo was abruptly cut short by the outbreak of the 1952 riots, during which many foreigners and members of minorities, including Jews, were affected by a growing sense of disunity under an increasingly radical Egyptian regime. Due to the riots, the family was forced to leave Cairo and immigrate to Israel. At first, they lived in the Bulgarian housing estate in Kiryat Ata—in a temporary one-and-a-half-room apartment that was a painful departure from the luxurious world they had left behind.

But my grandfather soon recognized Haifa, and especially the Hadar neighborhood, as a suitable solution – as close as possible to the sense of culture and elegance he remembered from Cairo. He saw in Hadar echoes of a past that had been cut short, and thus reshaped his life in Israel.

Hadar Carmel: Recreating the colonial bubble in Cairo

After leaving Kiryat Ata, the family settled in Haifa, in a two-room apartment in the Hadar neighborhood. The grandfather, who never abandoned his admiration for the British monarchy (and perhaps even believed that he was a descendant of the monarchy itself), saw Hadar as a place where one could lead a quiet bourgeois life, in a progressive cultural atmosphere.

For forty years, he and his wife used to buy their groceries every day at the Talpiot market, watch movies at the many movie theaters in the neighborhood, and live a modest but elegant lifestyle.

Yossi Kori's childhood in Hadar was shaped against this backdrop.

The market, the marzipan he received from his grandparents on every visit, and the festive processions that would frequent the streets of the neighborhood. "Pride and glory," is how he describes his memories – perhaps because the neighborhood itself bears that name, and perhaps because the new residents at the time, who came from luxurious communities in the Mediterranean basin, radiated respectability even under basic conditions. The splendor of the sixties and seventies was not just a neighborhood for them – it was a sweet dream of continuing the previous life, in a new incarnation.

Haifa versus Tel Aviv: The city that was pushed to the stage of history

Yossi's father carries with him rare cultural memories from the time when the Hadar neighborhood flourished as a vibrant urban center: Harry Belafonte at the Ora Cinema, Marlene Dietrich at the Tamar Cinema, the performance of 'The Roosters', Eva Marie Saint's visit during the filming of the film Exodus, and even Isaac Stern's concert — all of which took place right below the house. At that time, Sirkin Street, the Alliance School, and the surrounding streets were a vast expanse of youthful love, personal confidence, and a deep connection to culture and society.

The retreat of Haifa

Haifa at that time, claims Yossi, was in no way inferior to Tel Aviv – and even surpassed it in several important parameters: population, industry, tourism and employment centers. In fact, in the 20s and XNUMXs, Haifa was the economic center of the Land of Israel. However, the vagaries of history, controversial political decisions and the collapse of certain municipal systems pushed it back. What remains is a kind of back gallery in the cinema of life – a place from which one can observe the glorious past, but no longer actively participate in it.

Generation House: Apartment Airbnb A window to the Haifa Renaissance

Architect Dr. Yossi Kori's project is not just an ecological tourism initiative. It is an essential part of a personal and community process that seeks to restore Atara to its former glory - to revive the multilingual culture, the bourgeois and cultural spirit that was the lot of Hadar residents in the past.

In the apartment that Cory designed, he incorporated green design details alongside layers of memory, language, and identity. Just as his grandparents spoke French, Greek, Ladino, Italian, and other languages ​​to each other, he hopes the apartment will host guests from all over the world and become a small international hub of multicultural discourse.

The tribute to roots — from the city of Corrie on the Spanish-Portuguese border, through pre-1952 Cairo, to the splendor of Haifa — is not just a personal story, but a proposal for cultural correction.

According to Cory, perhaps if enough people see the apartment, learn the story, and become part of the vision, it will be possible to revive the human dimension of the neighborhood and the intellectual splendor it once had. Thus it happens that in a small apartment in Haifa, the story of a wandering people and an exiled bourgeois class has become a song of longing, hope, and a vision that can still be realized.

From a Tel Aviv childhood to Haifa modesty: Yossi's story

In 1971, into the bohemian atmosphere of Tel Aviv, Yossi was born – the eldest son of a young couple who met in the heart of the big city. Tel Aviv, which was then a center of employment and entertainment, also served as the meeting point for his parents, Yaakov and Ruthie, who began their journey together there. But when their child Yossi was three years old, the family broke away from the urban hustle and bustle and moved north to Haifa – the city where Yaakov grew up and to which he returned as a son who had returned home. Here, on the slopes of Mount Carmel, Yossi’s Haifa biography would begin to be written, which would soon become his deepest identity.

Great love for Haifa and the roots that the city laid down

Ruthie, his mother, grew up in Nahariya and dedicated her life to education. She was a teacher who adhered to the values ​​of teaching, which also accompanied her private home. His father, Yaakov, built an impressive career as a financier, serving as the VP of Finance for Elbit and later becoming an independent man and a doctor in the field of business ethics. Today, the parents live in the Ahuza neighborhood of Haifa. Yossi continues to bear the traces of this choice even in his adulthood, with a great love for Haifa and the roots that the city gave him and shaped his essence.

Yossi has two siblings: Amir, who is three years younger than him, and Shirley, who is eight years younger than him. Both have one notable drawback in Yossi's eyes – they don't live in Haifa, which causes him a little displeasure, perhaps because for him Haifa is not just a city, but a place of identity, belonging, and meaning.

The heart built between the school yard and the Carmel Trails

He spent his school years at the Reali School - a mythical Haifa institution where he was educated from first to twelfth grade, in the Reali school. The years at the Reali School shaped him deeply, not only in his studies but also in his values: "And the austerity of the path," he often says, describing the spirit that blew through the school's hallways and the way it permeated his soul. He spent his afternoons in the Scout Movement and within the framework of the Gadna, where he made friends for life and also got his first taste of the values ​​of service and contribution.

When Yossi talks about his childhood, his descriptions are filled with pure joy and a look of appreciation. "I had a wonderful childhood," he says, and it's clear that those memories are not just nostalgia - they are the entire foundation of his adult identity: Haifaite, with values, a member of a family that connects secularism with education, ideals with roots.

An officer at the front during a storm

Cory did his military service between 1989 and 1993 — a period etched in the national memory as full of tensions and challenges, when the first intifada took place here.

At that time, at the height of the storm, Corey served as an officer in the Artillery Corps, a position that required responsibility, composure, and extraordinary mental fortitude. He found himself dealing not only with complex operational situations, but also with the questions that begin to creep in at this age—where he will go from here and what his true calling is.

A clear professional dream – without looking right or left

While his friends were debating between different subjects, Corey never felt any doubt: architecture was his calling. He didn’t examine any other options, didn’t consider alternative paths — for him, the path was one and only. Corey enrolled exclusively in architecture studies and only at the Technion in Haifa, a place that attracted him like a magnet thanks to its combination of academic rigor and free creativity.

For five long and intense years, Corey lived the life of a student, living in a shared apartment in the Ahuza neighborhood of Haifa. The green and peaceful neighborhood was an anchor of peace for him amidst the challenging whirlwind of his studies. There, among its alleys, his professional identity was formed. Upon completing his studies, when he received the coveted architect's certificate, he knew in his heart that this was where he wanted to settle down.

Yossi's family: a lawyer, three sons, and a Haifa life

Today, even years after graduating, Corey continues to live in the same neighborhood – a mansion. There he lives with his family and there is also his private office, the beating heart of his professional world.

This house is home to Yossi's family – his wife Nira and their three children. Nira, born in Haifa, studied at the Leo-Beck School and is currently a lawyer and partner at the firm of S. Friedman Abramson & Co. The two were married in 1998.

The couple has three sons. Tomer, born in 2000, is a computer science student at the Technion. Doron, born in 2003, is a discharged soldier who works at "Pizza Halalit," located in the Talpiot Market in the Hadar neighborhood - and Ofir, the youngest of the three, was born in 2006 and is currently in a pre-military preparatory school on Kibbutz Be'ere.

Between the stone houses and the green trees, Corey creates, builds, plans – and proves every day that his early, so obvious, professional choice was not only correct but also incredibly accurate.

Green House on the Market: Yossi Kori Designs a Sustainable Apartment in the Heart of Haifa

The coronavirus pandemic has become an opportunity for many to reexamine priorities. For architect Yossi Kori, founder of Geotectura, it has given rise to a unique project – hospitality in the spirit of an ecological apartment, located in the heart of Haifa, close to Talpiot Market.

The story began with a walk through the city. Cory began to "measure" anew, step by step, in search of his personal and professional vision: a quality hospitality space, which would be rooted in the local community and fully interface with values ​​related to sustainable design. When he arrived at a side street near the historic market building, he found a two-story building from the 30s, and on its second floor – an apartment overlooking Haifa Bay and carrying with it history, roots and endless possibilities for redesign.

Green is not just a color

Already at the entrance to the house, it is quite clear that this was not a standard renovation. The courtyard gate is decorated with a graffiti painting by local artist Ben Mashiach, and behind it – a walkway that has been converted into a tiny urban garden:

 A green wall is covered with boxes that were collected in the market and now host ornamental and spice plants, and at the foot of this wall – makeshift planters. Here, in the connection between tough urban infrastructure and local nature, a real aesthetic and multi-sensory experience is created. Here, is the kingdom called "Talpiot Bay View", adjacent to the Talpiot Market and with a breathtaking view.

Preserve, not copy

Although the building is not designated as a conservation building, Corey treated it with the care of an antiquities conservator: openings, windows, and bars were treated with a delicate hand for preservation and replacement.

The seam between the old and the new is also present inside the apartment, where a state-of-the-art infrastructure system was deployed – a smart electrical system, efficient air conditioning and shading solutions, communication infrastructure – all integrated while preserving the existing internal structure. The apartment renovation was designed using advanced technologies such as laser scans and thermal imaging, which produced an accurate digital model of the property – as well as tools that ensured accurate restoration while maintaining ecological principles.

Local

"Locality is an integral part of life," emphasizes Cory, "and accordingly, all the professionals who took part in the project – electricians, carpenters, system installers – are local people. A significant portion of the furniture and decorative items were also purchased at the nearby flea market, out of the principle of striving to support local economic circles."

One house, many roles

One of the main principles of the project was functional flexibility. The apartment functions to allow for luxurious hospitality, but also as a cultural space for intimate events and an impressive exhibition about the city of Haifa, alongside paintings by the best artists in the area, as part of his vision, Cory established a small gallery in the heart of the apartment, featuring an exhibition of local artists. In addition, there is a visual tribute to Haifa's past: many archive photographs that have been hand-colored and look like real paintings.

Accordingly, dual-purpose furniture was chosen: a sofa that opens into a bed, a desk that can be converted into a single bed, a dining table that expands to seat 12 diners or shrinks to a console.

The fixed doors also convey flexibility – swing doors with frosted glass, for example, allow for quick division between an open space and two separate rooms.

Local design with a global perspective

The project relies on recycled materials, green-labeled adhesives, non-toxic paints, and energy-efficient LED lighting. Every item in the apartment was chosen not only for its aesthetic qualities, but also for its environmental value.

 The kitchen, for example, is covered in durable and modern black nano-laminate, and the bathroom is designed as a luxurious space inspired by boutique hotels. The design language is complemented by retro Haifa details, such as a renovated fireplace or three tables in the living space with unique landmarks on the Haifa map engraved in wood - it is a wonderful and poetic connection between the past and the present.

The walls of the rooms are covered with magnetic plates that allow flexible hanging without drilling – this is a creative solution that combines aesthetics and ergonomics.

Haifa's green roof

A slow climb up a spiral staircase leads to one of the most impressive and unexpected corners of the complex: a vast green roof, overlooking a breathtaking panoramic view.

On one side, the Bay of Haifa unfolds before our eyes in all its glory, and on the other side, the peak of Mount Hermon is clearly visible, along with Rosh Hanikra and the border of Lebanon – a view that fills the lungs with air and the heart with a rare sense of space.

The garden on the roof of the building is not an ordinary garden, but a carefully designed ecological system, which relies on a unique substrate that contains all the conditions required to cope with a challenging rooftop environment.

This is a lightweight substrate that has high drainage and ventilation capacity, while maintaining moisture and minerals over time. The substrate must withstand intense heat, strong winds, and direct sun exposure – sometimes even without the backup of a permanent irrigation system.

And from the rooftop of Haifa to the peaks of teaching in the periphery

The person behind the design of this impressive roof is architect Dr. Yossi Kori - an expert in ecological public construction, who focuses especially on the design of sustainable educational institutions. In his professional capacity, Kori is known for the groundbreaking projects he designed at Tel Aviv University and Shenkar College in Ramat Gan, and today he continues to operate at the forefront of green construction even in more remote areas.

In recent years, Cory was responsible for planning a series of ecological educational buildings in the periphery – in cities such as Sderot, Migdal HaEmek and Beit Shean – as part of a KKL-JNF initiative.

These are innovative schools that offer students an advanced learning environment, free access to up-to-date technological courses, and frameworks that promote excellence - with the aim of reducing gaps and making quality knowledge accessible to curious youth beyond the geographical periphery.

Articles focusing on unique places and unusual connections throughout Haifa

As a reporter at "Hai Pa - Haifa and the surrounding area news corporation," for Yossi, "Hai Pa News Corporation - is not just a source of current updates." In his eyes, it is a unique platform that expands the boundaries of local journalism and becomes a committed and caring body towards the city of Haifa and its residents.

"'The News Corporation Lives Here' is a platform that goes far beyond news and real-time updates," he says. "The amount of articles dealing with Haifa – the heritage, the architecture, the people and the future of the city – makes the corporation much more than a good media outlet. It's a place that cares."

Yossi emphasizes that it is not obvious to find an approach in contemporary media that looks beyond the given moment. According to him, the notable advantage of "Living Here" lies precisely in the broad perspective it offers: a historical, holistic, and in-depth look that allows us to get to know the city in its various layers. "It is precisely thanks to this approach that we can learn no less about the world around us," he adds.

Yossi's involvement in the corporation does not end with just reading. He himself has taken part in writing articles focusing on unique places and unusual connections throughout Haifa, in collaboration with Tal Kizman and others. In his experience, the local audience is open and thirsty to know more about the city's history - and also about the many possibilities that will open up to it in the future. "There is a lot of desire to get to know Haifa in depth, both in terms of its past and in terms of realizing its potential," he concludes.

According to Cory: "'Hai Fe' is much more than a news corporation" – it is a loving documentation of the city of Haifa.

And…another initiative: 'Step-In', a Haifa gallery that connects art, history and community life

In the historic heart of Haifa, inside a 19th-century stone building, lies Step-In Gallery – a cultural initiative born in 2023 by our friend, architect Yossi Kori. Far more than a traditional gallery, the venue is a living and exciting bridge between past and future, drawing inspiration from the figure of Hassan Shukri, Haifa’s legendary mayor, who was known for his commitment to equality and brotherhood.

On the gallery door, visitors are greeted by a powerful graffiti painting by artist Ben Mashiach, depicting the image of Hassan Shukri with a clear and poignant message: “Moderation wins!” – a statement that echoes the spirit of the place and its social values. The painting not only adorns the entrance, but also anchors the gallery deeply in its multicultural Haifa identity.

The gallery itself operates as a multifunctional, flexible and dynamic space. This is thanks to modular furniture that turns it into an "urban chameleon". Step-In hosts art exhibitions (the artists exhibit for free and their works are sold without a gallery fee), as well as cultural, culinary and tourism events. It should be noted that in October 2023, the gallery served as emergency housing for evacuees, coming to the aid of those who needed temporary shelter.

Beyond artistic activity, the place maintains deep community connections - students from Haifa University come there for academic activities and the place even sometimes becomes an intimate movie theater, as a tribute to the movie theaters that have disappeared from the landscape of the Hadar neighborhood.

Step-In Gallery succeeds in serving as a vibrant center that brings together the residents of the area, and proves time and again that it is much more than a gallery - it is a beating heart of creation, community, and a shared vision.

Yossi's gallery is located at 7 Madret HaNaviim Street and can also be reached via the address in Wiz: 2 Hanazirot Street, Haifa.

Yossi dreams of a future for Haifa with roots – and a shared responsibility for his beloved city

On a personal level, Yossi expresses a wish that comes from the depths of his heart: to see the next generation of his family continue to establish their residence in Haifa – the city he loves with all his heart. To his delight, it seems that the wind is already blowing in the right direction. He looks at his descendants with pride and hope, and feels that the great love he himself has for the city – a deep-rooted, intense and uncompromising love – has already been instilled in their hearts.

But Yossi is not satisfied with individual hopes. Out of a sense of civic mission and deep love for his city, he looks ahead and calls on us, the residents of Haifa and its lovers, to take an active part in shaping its future. "We must do everything we can," he says, "so that Haifa can walk on the path it deserves - a path of development, community, and a living, breathing identity."

Because for him, Haifa is not just a city. It is a responsibility. It is a legacy. It is a shared dream.