Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev Transforms with NOFARIM Mixed-Use Residential Project
Pisgat Ze’ev, a large neighborhood in northern Jerusalem with tens of thousands of residents, is evolving beyond a typical suburb into a self-contained urban hub. The NOFARIM project by Tzarfati Shimon Group aims to advance this transformation by creating a mixed-use complex that integrates new housing, commercial spaces, leisure areas, and communal facilities. Located at 34 Simcha Holtzberg Street on a prominent 7-dunam site, the development will feature four 18-story buildings with 286 residential units, including three- to five-room apartments, urban garden apartments, and penthouses, topped by commercial floors and underground parking.
The project targets a diverse audience, from young families and those upgrading their homes to downsizers and investors, offering residents the chance to improve their living conditions without leaving the community or its established services. As sales manager Assaf Shoshana explains, Pisgat Ze’ev has grown since the 1980s and 1990s when residential buildings were separated from commercial and service centers. NOFARIM embodies a modern urban planning approach that combines living, shopping, and leisure in one location, featuring amenities such as a lobby, residents’ club, and public spaces designed to serve both residents and the wider neighborhood.
A key factor in Pisgat Ze’ev’s rising appeal is its proximity to the Jerusalem Light Rail’s Red Line station near the project, providing easy, car-free access to central city locations including the French Hill, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Hebrew University, downtown, Mahane Yehuda Market, and the central bus station. Real estate appraiser Ido Shaham highlights that this improved connectivity, along with nearby highway access (about 300 meters from Route 20 connecting to Routes 1 and 433), enhances mobility within Jerusalem and to surrounding areas like Modiin.
Architect Yoav Oman of Tito Oman Architects, who designed NOFARIM, notes the project’s careful separation of commercial activity from residential privacy, using Jerusalem’s topography to create distinct zones. The buildings’ modern, harmonious facades combine wood, plaster, and aluminum, maximizing views while maintaining scale compatible with the neighborhood. The apartments feature efficient layouts, rich specifications, balconies, and some with sukkah balconies. The surrounding area includes schools, synagogues, health centers, community centers, libraries, sports facilities, and Lev HaPisgah Mall, reinforcing the project’s goal to establish a comprehensive urban center where home, street, commerce, and transport coexist seamlessly.
