Creation, The Creator and Man in Architecture / The Beginning of the Alternative Way of Home Design

Creation, The Creator and Man in Architecture / The Beginning of the Alternative Way of Home Design

Compared to conventional architecture, where the nature around the house is not very important, in alternative architecture, the construction of the house is initially examined according to the nature around it.

In nature, there is a feature of circular flow. For example, the earth is in the shape of a circle, and revolves around the sun in a circle. The moon also revolves around the earth. This feature of a circular cycles is an character of eternity, since a circle has no beginning or end: as soon as one rotation of the earth around the sun is over, a new rotation begins immediately, and it is impossible to indicate the beginning or end point (what appears to us as the sun's orbit - sunrise, day, sunset , night).

In contrast, manmade houses were built in squares, with straight lines. That is, the house was built within a world of planning and maintaining order, with defined beginnings and ends. The house is relatively 'straight', like a straight line starting at point A and ending at point B.

Of man, it is said, "God made man upright."

In Kabbalah there is a concept called "circles and straight lines", and it is explained that in order to create the world, the Creator had to use both circles and straight lines.

If so, just as the Creator built his world-house using both circles and straight lines at the same time, we too will build every house using these two features, that is, we will put the round nature into the straight house.

The introduction of nature into the house is done on several levels, with the first level being to reach nature with humility and submission, and not 'break' it aggressively with tractors that will level the entire extensive area around the house, even if it is more convenient in terms of construction.

Of course, it is possible to level the area around the house, but this should be done gently and with maximum preservation of the nature that is around. In addition, after the artificial alignment, it is highly recommended to plant trees near the house, in order to dress the 'baren' house and so-to-speak, compensate nature for the artificial earth-alignment. In this perception, the windows of the house connect the house with the nature around it by 'bringing' nature into the house, and then the house becomes part of the natural external environment.

There are several villages in Israel that have been built while preserving the nature around them and they serve as our inspiration.

Take for example the settlement of Matat in the northern Galilee, which from a distance looks as if the houses were built naturally blending with the mountainside, without human interference.

This is how perfect harmony may exist between house and nature: the house is no stranger to nature and nature is no stranger to the house. When nature ‘feels’ that it has come to its borders humbly and not due to force and superiority, it returns to infuse its simple and infinite beauty into the home.

Another element that brings nature into our home, upon which the 'Light in the Home' philosophy was built, is the reference to the energetic meaning of the four winds of the world (east, west, north, south), as the wisdom of Kabbalah describes them in depth.

Each direction from the four winds of heaven carries a special character, and energy that affects the world, and of course us as well.

For example, it is known in the Torah of Sod (secret) that the south is called right, and this is the side that corresponds to the Sefira of Chessed (grace).

The energy that inspires the Sefira of Chessed is love.

Therefore, we will design the alternative home in parallel to the four winds of the world, and try to have four directions of air, in order to receive from each wind its unique inspiration and character, in a location suitable for different rooms (the kitchen has different energy than the master bedroom, for example).

Understanding that there are natural forces that affect us deeply and we in turn interact with them, we can approach the construction process with more sensitivity, attuned to creation, our Creator and man’s spiritual desires.