"מהישרדות להחלמה": אדריכלות ככלי שיקומי לטיפול בפוסט טראומה

“Shrapnel struck only the soul, not the body.” From the song “Lo Nirga” by Avihai Hollander (translated from Hebrew). As the number of people living with military-related post-traumatic stress disorder continues to grow, architecture must also consider its responsibility: how do we design for people who may experience everyday environments as threatening or overwhelming? From Survival to Recovery responds to the need for environments attuned to the experience of trauma and for continued support during the transition from therapeutic care to independent living. It seeks to create a built environment that supports safety, regulation, and the rebuilding of trust, enabling a gradual return to meaningful community life. The project develops a design approach that integrates trauma-informed design, salutogenic architecture, and biophilic architecture. Drawing on theoretical knowledge, precedent studies, and spatial investigation, it establishes six principles: choice and control; spatial legibility and safety; sensory and spatial regulation; a sense of home, dignity, and human scale; connection to nature and the surrounding environment; and participation, responsibility, and belonging. These principles are applied in a complex in the HaShmura neighborhood of Zikhron Ya’akov, combining three residential crisis-support homes with a continuing-care center. The homes offer therapeutic accommodation in a domestic setting, while the center provides therapy, activities, and opportunities for social interaction after the residential stay has ended. Together, they create a familiar environment that allows the level of support to change gradually in response to evolving needs, serving as an anchor throughout recovery. The stepped buildings follow the topography, creating a sequence of private, therapeutic, and shared spaces. Multiple routes and places to spend time, legible circulation, natural light, and connections to the landscape offer choices about movement, interaction, and participation. Beyond the specific site, the project seeks to extend architectural responsibility to needs that are not always visible. Building on the commitment to physical accessibility, it calls for recognition of the sensory and emotional barriers that affect people’s ability to participate in shared spaces and society. Its aspiration is for people living with PTSD to feel seen and to find a partner in recovery within the built environment: a place that offers safety and gradually enables them to re-engage with the world and live full lives.