Revitalizing the Landscape Core at Sataf, Jerusalem Hills by Ara Landscape Architecture and Urban Design

Introduction: Sataf – A Living Cultural Landscape

Nestled on the western slopes of the Jerusalem Hills, Sataf is a rare and vibrant testament to the Mediterranean landscape tradition. This unique site blends native vegetation, ancient agricultural terraces, and spring-fed irrigation systems, layered within a dramatic topography of rugged hills and valleys.

Sataf embodies the dialogue between natural and cultivated landscapes. Its terraced fields, stone pathways, and flowing springs tell the story of generations of human interaction with the land. Today, Sataf serves not only as a heritage site but as a vibrant recreational destination for hikers, cyclists, runners, and families seeking connection to nature within close reach of urban life.

Noting the increasing popularity of Sataf and the wear on its core visitor facilities, KKL-JNF initiated a renewal and expansion of the central gathering area to improve the visitor experience while preserving the site’s authenticity and spirit.

Project Scope and Design Intentions

The project focused on revitalizing the forest core area approximately 1500 sqn characterized by an open eastern frontage offering panoramic views over the hills and valleys of Jerusalem. Adjacent to the core lies a large parking area, carefully integrated with mature olive trees to maintain the rural, agricultural character of the site.

A new modest building of 250 sqn was introduced, housing public restrooms, a small café, and a visitor information point. Designed with environmental responsiveness in mind, the building features energy-saving technologies, a partially green roof combined with photovoltaic solar panels, and a restrained material palette of stone and wood, ensuring minimal visual impact on the surrounding landscape.

Given the relatively small building footprint, the landscape architecture was tasked with expanding the functional capacity of the outdoors spaces. The landscape design acts as a seamless extension of the building, offering flexible, inclusive, and nature-immersed areas for gathering, resting, and recreation.

Landscape Strategy and Principles

The landscape design at Sataf sought not merely to serve functional needs, but to deepen the visitor’s engagement with the site and its history. Key principles included:

• Creation of Multilayered Gathering Spaces:
Specific areas were designed for informal groupings — family picnics, school groups, individual hikers — adapting to diverse patterns of use. Seating areas, resting points, and shaded nooks were dispersed in a non-formal layout, avoiding rigid structures and maintaining a natural flow.
• “Viewfront” Preservation and Enhancement:
Protecting and framing the distant, uninterrupted views eastward was a guiding principle. Terraced seating platforms and minimal grading interventions ensure that visitors enjoy the magnificent panoramas while causing minimal disturbance to the site’s natural slopes.
• Integration of Authentic Materials:
Local stone and untreated timber were selected to ensure that all interventions feel like a natural continuation of the existing terraced landscape, echoing the ancient craftsmanship of the site.
• Preservation and Celebration of Existing Trees:
Mature olive and carob trees were carefully mapped and protected. Circulation routes and sitting areas were designed around them, turning the trees into focal points and anchors of the newly planned spaces.
• Water-Sensitive Design:
At Sataf, runoff is directed to planted areas via natural swales, enabling passive irrigation and supporting biodiversity.
A Stratavault system installed over impermeable rock promotes healthy root growth while maintaining surface stability and managing excess water.
Together, these measures enhance ecological resilience and reduce maintenance.
• Microclimate Enhancement and Shading Strategies:
Shade structures were designed as lightweight, demountable elements, complemented by new native tree planting. Combined with the green roof system, these interventions help to moderate the microclimate, offering comfort during Jerusalem’s dry and hot summers.
• Minimalist Intervention, Maximum Resonance:
Overall, the intervention was conceived as minimal yet meaningful inserting functional improvements with a light touch that enhances, rather than dominates, the existing character.

Conclusion: Landscape as Continuum and Dialogue

The Sataf renewal project exemplifies a measured, respectful, and site-specific approach to landscape architecture. Rather than relying on grand gestures, it fosters a quiet dialogue with the site’s history, topography, and ecological systems.

Through this lens, the forest core is not viewed as a new development, but as a living continuum revealing layers of human cultivation, natural regeneration, and scenic beauty.
The project demonstrates how landscape design can harmonize public access, ecological responsibility, and a deep sense of place—safeguarding Sataf’s heritage while making it meaningful for contemporary users.

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
Tamar Koren Architects

• All architecture offices involved in the design:
Gilad-Shiff Architecture

• Other credits:
The site was built with partnership and support of friends and donors for KKL-JNF Switzerland.
Drone photos: Lior Avitan

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