Tomer’s Farm

1. Tomer’s Farm Ecology, environmentalist supporting surroundings for disables people An Ecological Resort that will provide work for the disabled people

2. About Us • The Ashtar family owns and operates “Chalet Nimrod Castle” – An ecological resort that offers wooden cabins, camping site, restaurant, agricultural tourism and nature tours. • “Chalet Nimrod Castle” is one of the oldest and well known eco-tourism business in Israel. It now works successfully for 10 years, and has lots of visitors and guests from Israel and around the world • The entrepreneurs, Guy & LilachAshtar, • live in Nimrod, a village of 4 families. • Nimrod is located in northern Golan Heights, • on the ridge of Mount Hermon. • We are parents of 4, among them, Tomer, an autistic 12 years old.

3. Combining Tourism and Welfare Unfortunately, Tomer, like many of his friends, will always need our constant support, love and protection. Despite that, in Israel, all the therapeutic programs are designate for kids up to the age of 21. That forces lots of disabled adults like Tomer to stay home, isolated, or to take part in other programs, which are similar to close psychiatric units. The situation is harder in the outlying areas: Where there are limited sources, and its habitants have partial ability to finance other solutions. Our child, Tomer, is autistic, and like many other parents of disabled children, we put years of effort, treatments, teaching, caring and loving. All that is being made with the purpose that Tomer will be able to function in well our society.

4. Combining Tourism and Welfare We want to create such a place for those adults, a working place within our society: An ecological resort that will provide jobs for the disabled. Tomer's farm will be self sustained and productive place, and over the course of years will create more jobs and opportunities for the disabled people. We strongly believe that economy can be combined with welfare, and a place like Tomer's farm, can be bliss for the disabled people: A unique opportunity to integrate, work and contribute to the society, and at the same time to get the care and love they need.

5. The vision

6. Our master plan: 24 guest units, museum, auditorium, spa and dining rooms. The site will be the center of the tourism in the northern Golan Heights, and the existing marketing and reservation systems of "Chalet Nimrod Castle", will be the base for its initial activity. • The resort is designated for travelers from Israel and abroad, and will offer a verity of activities with an emphasis on nature sustainability and ecology. In the site we'll build a museum of contemporary art- first gallery will present a collection of Israeli art, second gallery with different exhibitions of disabled artists, and third gallery with exhibitions of local artists. • We attend to create a resort entirely sustainable, with green sewer and water systems. • Tomer's farm will be built on a 7.5 acres area, which was used to be an army base in the Golan Heights. • We attend to build a unique ecological and social resort. It will be constructed by underground building. On the surface you will only see the gardens, orchards, light chimneys and wind-vanes. There will be also an ecological sewage system, supported by green water basins.

7. A current view of the Site Plan

8. A current view of the Site Plan

9. A current view of the Site Plan

10. The Geographical LocationNorthern Golan Heights,8 km (4.97 ml) south of the village of Odem Nimrod Neve Ativ Mas’adah Odem Site Plan Kela Kela

11. Conceptual Master Plan

12. What is Underground Building? • Underground building is a type of geometric building. The structures are covered with soil. On that soil we grow vegetation and trees, which make the structures invisibles (from above). The soil also used as isolation material and by that we're saving energy. • Around the world, up today, underground building was used only in small structures and scales; our purpose is to produce a bigger project.

13. Samples of Underground Building

14. Samples of Underground Building

15. Our Goals • We want to use our existing knowledge, expand it, and build unique and lighted vacation units. It will both be ecological and luxurious, and will look like any other lavish resort. Example of the facade of the structure

16. Types of Underground Building

17. The Exterior Design Lots and lots of vegetation…. Cabins among the trees ….. And not trees between cabins… We want to turn the place to a vast garden, with lots of fruits and vegetables, which will serve the guests and will be a working area for the disabled people

18. The Planned Landscape

19. The Planned Landscape

20. A little bit of the interior design

21. Development Stages • January 2008- Admitting "Tomer's farm" to the Golan tourism plan. • May 2008- Approval of the "Tomer's farm" plans by the joint committee of the Ministry of Tourism and the Israel Land Administration. • June 2009- Receiving authorization for building on 6 acres of the property, from the Israel Land Administration. • July 2009- The plans are approved by the local committee of planning and building. • November 2009- Regional committee of planning and building. • December 2009- Approving construction plans by the local committee. • June 2009- Start construction

22. The People Behind the Project Tomer’sFarm Managing, directing and administrating: • Architect: Mahmud Brik & Majdal Shams • Landscape Architect: Ethan Rosenberg & Ma'aleTzviya • Ecological sewer design: Arnon Goren & DorHavkin Partners and supporters of the project: • Head of the Golan Regional Council: Eli Malka • Founder & CEO of Ecotourism Israel: Michal Wimmer-Luria