The Alemdag Housing \ Baraka

Courtesy Baraka

Courtesy Baraka

The 6.000 m² plot is located on the edge of the city of Istanbul on the exact interface between the city and the surrounding forest. The first input for the housing complex was the location itself. This spot has been an important dynamic. It is where the urban texture starts to dissolve and the built environment becomes almost undefined and sparse. Another major factor was the building code, with a quite high floor-space index and a height limit of six floors. All these facts lead us to use an architectural language with a smooth transition between the building and its surrounding, unlike the neighbouring buildings.

Courtesy Baraka

Courtesy Baraka

The housing complex is made up of four building blocks which contain 70 flats, 2 retail units and social facilities. The social facilities itself, with an open air swimming pool and rooms for various leisure facilities is differentiated from the rest of the complex by means of ramps and amphiteaters. This leads also to the contextual differentiation between public, semi-public and private space.

The linear wooden elements of the facade are thought to act occasionally as sun shading elements, railings and cladding.

+ Project facts

Architects: Baraka
Location: Istanbul, Turkiye
Design Team: Abdurahman Çekim , Sevilay Çekim , Fatma Savgan
Project Year: 2012
Project Area: 6.000 m²

+ All images and drawings courtesy Baraka