Man and Earth

At his core, the human being seeks a home, a place to settle, put down roots, return to oneself, and reconnect with the world. For many, home is not only a structure but also a sense of belonging, creation, and encounter. Sometimes a home is shaped through a collective process, when working with hands and simple materials becomes part of a shared story of healing and growth.

The October 7 tragedy led to the destruction of hundreds of homes and the displacement of residents, intensifying the need to reimagine the built environment. Beyond restoring housing and infrastructure, planning must also address recovery and healing.

Resilience centers, which provide psychological support in routine and emergency situations, highlight the importance of the physical environment in recovery. Yet there is also a need for spaces that integrate emotional and social rehabilitation into daily life. Research shows that participatory planning and community construction strengthen resilience and cohesion.

The project “Man and Earth” offers a framework for restorative spaces for Western Negev communities living with uncertainty. It raises the question: How can we design spaces of recovery in damaged settlements that reconnect Man and Earth and reinforce belonging and resilience through community-based building processes?

The essence of this proposal is that collective crafting is a coping mechanism. Building together is not only a means of construction but the beginning of personal and collective rehabilitation. The process evolves in two stages: first, the construction of Resilience Village at the Sha’ar HaNegev junction, a shared learning environment serving as a temporary anchor for recovery, training, and cooperation. Later, the process returns to the kibbutzim, expressed in therapeutic spaces, workshops, housing, and gathering areas, all built with the active participation of residents.

Through simple modular kits and the use of earth as a primary material, construction itself becomes an act of healing. These spaces, once established, continue as community environments for crafts and healing activities, providing a lasting sense of belonging, capability, and purpose. Man and Earth is not merely a design for buildings, but an open framework that enables people to return not only to a place, but to themselves.