ReHabitat
2024
Northeast of Beit Shemesh lies a unique farm grounded in rehabilitation and preservation, where humans and animals share a reciprocal cycle of care. Situated alongside an ecological corridor, a technological institute, and a nature reserve, the farm serves not only as a sanctuary for animals but also as a restorative environment for people. Visitors can work the land, care for the animals, or take part in technological projects that strengthen the connection between nature and innovation. The integrated tech institute introduces local youth to advanced development tools while fostering compassion and environmental responsibility. Daily life on the farm mirrors these values: animals live together in harmony within a landscape inspired by a nature reserve, supported by clean, shared water systems. Here, rehabilitation unfolds as a continuous natural cycle, creating meaningful bonds between animals, humans, and the surrounding environment.
Complex Systems Studio, guided by Architect Ganit Mayslits Kassif , 4th Year
Why is there a need for animal rehabilitation farms?
Animal rights, or animal liberation, is a philosophical and moral principle stating that non-human animals should be regarded as beings with rights of their own, and not as property owned by humans or as inanimate objects that may be harmed.
How can we create a rehabilitative environment for animals harmed by humans, while forming a relationship built on cooperation between animals, humans, and nature
The site is located in northeast Beit Shemesh, an area defined by open landscapes, an active ecological corridor, and a nearby nature reserve. It forms a transitional zone between natural terrain and a developing urban edge, where natural systems and human activity coexist. This intersection creates unique conditions for examining the relationships between animals, the environment, and local communities, and for shaping spaces that respond to the delicate ecological system at work.
The catalog of animals and their spatial needs served as the foundation for defining zones and designing the rehabilitation pathways within the farm.
In this farm, every process of rehabilitation behaves like a natural cycle—circular, like life itself—reflecting unity and partnership with the environment, and creating new and meaningful connections between animals, humans, and nature.
The masterplan organizes the farm into three stages of rehabilitation, tailored to the needs of the animals—from their arrival to their gradual reintegration into nature. The design establishes a sequential spatial flow: initial intake and medical treatment zones, transitional areas that provide a protected environment for social acclimation, and finally, an open landscape connected to the surrounding ecological systems. This approach is guided by principles of animal welfare, freedom of movement, and renewed engagement with the natural environment, enabling each animal to undergo a process that combines medical care, physical recovery, and gradual exposure to nature—while maintaining a controlled separation between visitor circulation and the animals’ living spaces.
The rehabilitation journey moves from medical treatment, to social reintroduction, to gradual reintegration into the natural landscape, each stage designed to foster safety, freedom, and interspecies cooperation.
Stages 1–2: Intake and Acclimation
In the first stages, the animal undergoes assessment, receives initial medical care, and moves into a semi-private space where it can recover safely and begin reconnecting with its species.
Stage 3: Return to Nature
In the final stage, the animal transitions into an open landscape connected to the stream and natural pathways, allowing free movement and gradual reintegration into the surrounding ecological system.
The farm reinterprets the idea of a zoo—but in reverse: not as a place centered on human entertainment, but as a landscape centered on the well-being of animals. Around them, spaces for education, technology, volunteering, and therapeutic engagement create meaningful connections between the community and the natural world. Visitor pathways are elevated above the ground to avoid disrupting the animals’ habitat. This lifted circulation allows observation and movement without intruding into their living space.
A subterranean passage connects the two parts of the farm without interrupting the ecological corridor that runs above it, preserving the continuity of the natural system and the movement of animals on site while integrating the project into the broader environmental context. Through this connection, the farm becomes part of a unified landscape — a rehabilitative environment where nature, animals, and humans coexist in harmony and support one another.
A subterranean passage connects the two parts of the farm without interrupting the ecological corridor that runs above it, preserving the continuity of the natural system and the movement of animals on site while integrating the project into the broader environmental context. Through this connection, the farm becomes part of a unified landscape — a rehabilitative environment where nature, animals, and humans coexist in harmony and support one another.
