HaRova Haifa: 198 units, and four basement levels

Residential construction is one problem. Retail is another. A project joining both in the same structure is a third, and it is not the sum of the first two: acoustics, separation of systems, operating hours, separate entrances, and traffic arriving for two audiences at once.

HaRova in Haifa is that kind of project: a residential and retail complex in three ten-storey buildings, 198 housing units, four basement parking levels and a commercial ground floor.

What four basement levels involve

Excavating and shoring four levels below ground is among the most demanding operations in urban construction. It bears directly on two items in the Sale Law's inspection schedule:

• Failure of the building's waterproofing, including underground voids — four inspection years. In a project with four basement levels, that is the central item.
• Failure in piping systems — four inspection years. In a deep basement, drainage and pumping are critical systems and not mere conveniences.

A full explanation of the schedule and how to invoke it is in the article on inspection and warranty periods.

Contractor classification and construction scope

In residential building, the contractor classification is defined not only in money but also by the maximum area in square metres permitted on a single site. Grades 1 to 4 carry explicit ceilings — 2,000, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 sq m. At grade 5, across all three groups, the scope is unlimited.

An explanation of scope ceilings by classification grade is in the article on contractor classification.

What to check in a mixed-use project

1. Separation of entrances — whether the apartments have an entrance separate from the retail.
2. Separation of systems — electricity, air conditioning, water and drainage: what is shared, what is separate, and who pays.
3. Acoustics — what separates the retail floor from the first residential floor.
4. Operating hours — whether the by-laws restrict business types or hours.
5. Expense allocation — in a condominium with retail, the expense key produces most of the disputes. It is fixed in Part D of the specification.

Haifa within the company's reach

The company has two projects in Haifa: HaRova, and an evacuate-and-rebuild project on HaYotam Street, with the status "coming soon". Both, and everything else, appear on the projects page.