With its simple architectural style, the Nigar-Özcan Canpolat House
differentiates itself from its neighboring counterparts in the Yelki of İzmir.
The design of the residence began in 2016 by Mert Uslu Architecture and was
completed in 2019. In the early stages of conceptual design, while the requests
of the client were being taken into consideration, careful attention was given
to the fact that the client would be alternating their residence between France
and Turkey and design decisions were made accordingly. Since the spring and
summer seasons would be spent in Turkey, the design of the residence aimed to
reverse the potential disadvantages that would be experienced with sun exposure
and heating potentials in these seasons a positive direction. In accordance
with this, a 9 meter high stone wall, the veritable backbone of the project,
was used as the intuitive articulation of the origin of the design.
The requirement of structures that are located in regions with hot climatic
characteristics to maintain ideal comfort conditions while circulating hot air
within the interior spaces further distinguishes the stone wall within the
design. Separated from the stone wall, the gallery in the interior space not
only allows for the warm air to circulate upward but also by increasing the
interior volumetric dimension, provides alternate perspectives to the existing
spatial perception. The wooden staircase that is located in the gallery
connects the upper floor to the lower floor and the first floor.
The attachment of the stair to the bedrooms of the first floor through bridges
enhances the spatial richness of the gallery. Located on a sloping site, the
residence is planned to consist of three floors with a split-level ground floor
and first floor. The upper floor can be accessed from the entrance façade
located on the eastern axis, while the lower floor and first level are accessed
from the upper floor. The way in which the lower ground floor opens up to the
garden creates an integrated narrative through the connection of interior and
exterior spaces. While the living room, kitchen, cellar, guest bedroom,
restrooms, and hall are located on this floor, the terrace, garden, pool,
winter garden, and water storage are placed on the exterior.
On exterior flooring and garden wall covering, basalt stones were used. The
combination of material that is used in the building the three[1]dimensional reflection of a
pure geometric configuration while creating a holistic interaction of color and
texture throughout. The green textures around the basalt stone-covered
hardscape are protected by changing the locations of the existing olive trees
while plants specific to the region are integrated into the landscape. The
visual qualities of the residence are enriched in the evening with lighting
elements on the garden walls and floor. The ladder on the garden level connects
the exterior spaces of the lower floor and the upper floor creating a passage
between them. While openings to the lower floor pool and garden increase the
visual perception at the spatial level by integrating the concepts of the
interior and exterior, it provides different forms of use for the residents, in
the summer.
Leaning against the stone wall, the wooden staircase, and the space it
occupies, are displayed through the openings of the garden façade that rises up
to all of the floors. The circulation gap between the stone wall and interior
spaces that is read in plan is perceptible along the façade. At the same time,
this perception contributes to the holistic reflection of the solid-void
balance in the structure. The movement and flow between this space draw
attention from the outside with its legible structure. The reinforced concrete
slabs of the upper floors that stick to the opening that rises along the façade
emphasize the simple architectural language both vertically and horizontally.
The living room, bedroom, bathroom, hall and balcony are located in the
interior of the upper ground floor where the main entrance of the building is
located; while the parking is located on the exterior. The garden and pool
vistas can be viewed from the balcony that is accessed through the living room
located on this floor. At the same time, the structure of this balcony is
designed in connection with the main entrance making it a semi-open area
accessible from the outside. The basalt stone flooring of the main entrance
also continues onto the balcony, thus providing visual continuity between the
floor planes. The balcony, which is attached to the structure as a console with
a width of three meters, turns into a sunset terrace with light reflections
emerging at sunset. The vertical metal railings that continue horizontally
along the balcony not only increase the visual rhythm along the façade but also
support the vertical-horizontal relationship of the building and the visual
continuity of material differences.
The wooden ladder that connects the upper ground floor and the first floor
merges with the stone wall and the first-floor bridge as it defines the
circulation in the gallery space. The two-story height space is integrated with
the openings that extend along the three floors of the garden façade and stone
wall, forming its identity within the structure. Lighting elements are
suspended from the ceiling as elements that define this space vertically.
Within this part of the residence, the design was intended to create different
perspectives within the interior while also creating visual permeability of the
interior spaces when viewed from the exterior. With these visual effects, the
physical flows between the rooms define its own outward appearance.
The master bedroom and bathroom, children’s room, hall, and balconies are on
the first floor of the residence. A balcony that is only accessible through the
master bedroom and overlooks the main entrance façade is added to this floor. A
second balcony, which can be accessed by both bedrooms on this floor, is
located on the garden façade. Inside the master bedroom, the dressing area is
designed as a separate volume. Access to these spaces is provided through the
bridge that connects to the staircase located in the gallery.
Designed with a simple architectural language, the residence can be read
through pure geometrical formations. The interactions between the horizontal
and vertical lines reinforce the outward appearance of the geometric form and
the style. The spaces behind the stone wall, transform the structure into a focal
point, flow into each other both in the two and three-dimensional, supporting
the formation of different spatial perceptions within the interior. The visual
harmony established between stone, exposed concrete, basalt stone and
transparent materials is a reflection of the tone composed at the beginning of
design. This approach is the fundamental factor that not only integrates the
building to the natural environment in which it is located but also provides
balance. This approach is the product of the entire design philosophy.
CREDITS
Architectural Design: Mert Uslu Architecture
Design Team: Mert Uslu, Nilay Özcan Uslu, Melek Güneysu Öztürk, İmge Yurtseven Koç, Farida Rashidova
Contractor: Özcan Canpolat
Structural Engineering: Deniz Alkan
Mechanical Engineering: Arel
Electrical Engineering: Bolelli
Construction Area: 350 sqm
Location: Güzelbahçe, İzmir
Completion Date: 2019
Photographs: Mert Uslu Architecture Archive
NATURAL STONE:
FACADE
URLA STONE
QUARRY
URLA
OUTDOOR FLOORS AND GARDEN WALLS
BASALT
QUARRY
KAYSERİ
