The International Center for Combatting Desertification will be located in the heart of the settlement (Midreshet Sde Boker) which contains a number of educational institutions other than the desert research institutes. The design will incorporate a linear structure with two arteries of differing hierarchies, the main artery being the new entrance to the settlement. A central pedestrian axis leads from the Cliff to the commercial and administrative center.
The linear development requires points of orientation along its whole length and will emphasize the Cliff and the view from Ben-Gurion’s grave, the commercial center and the civic center. The latter is a proposed focal point around which new functions will be developed, some belonging to the Center, others to the settlement as a whole. The proposed civic center will include the municipal buildings, a community center, the Desert Museum, the Information Center and the library, a national center for environmental studies and the Conference Center including an auditorium with up to 800 seats.

The Center for Combatting Desertification will be built around a central plaza and will comprise  research departments, the administration of the Center and the School for Advanced Studies. Other elements which have been incorporated into the plan include the residential functions (permanent housing and housing for visitors) and improvements to the existing road network. An additional entrance to the settlement is proposed along the artery joining the Center, the civic center and terminating at the Cliff.