Traditional Landscapes: A Rural Space in Constant Motion – The Village of Beit Jann and Mount Meron Nature Reserve

Nestled beside the Mount Meron Nature Reserve, the Druze village of Beit Jann in the Upper Galilee grapples with the growing tension between the need for modern infrastructure development and the preservation of its natural and cultural heritage. Since the 1960s and 70s, the declaration of the Mount Meron reserve has fueled conflicts over private land and exacerbated illegal construction, leading to increased density within the village.

Compounding this, like many other Arab villages in Israel, Beit Jann faces a severe shortage of public open spaces to meet its residents’ needs. The village is on the verge of losing parts of its local history, including ancient springs and the ruins (khirbas) of old hamlets whose inhabitants eventually gathered to form the modern village. Traditional buildings and shared public courtyards, once central to the village’s identity, are also at risk. Additionally, the status of traditional agriculture, particularly the cultivation of grapevines, which once symbolized the village and was a cornerstone of its local economy, has significantly declined.

The vision for this project is to create a rural space that blends modern development with the preservation of its traditional, rural identity. The village will serve as a model for restoring historical and cultural connections, preserving natural values, and strengthening the community’s sense of belonging, while addressing residents’ need for public spaces.

The project proposes a system of trails and public areas, shaped by a green ring at the intersection of the reserve and the village. This system then penetrates deeper into the village through key axes and points, creating a platform for community engagement, enhancing the local landscape and ecology, and providing interfaces to boost the local economy. Each section of this system offers a different kind of space tailored to the character of its location: from the public core, through agricultural terraces, to scenic viewpoints overlooking the mountains