Tilkitepe Houses
Collective
2017
Balabanlı / Çanakkale
1,200 m²
Situated on the road from Behramkale to Bababurnu, the village of Balabanlı has a well-defined architectural character, being composed of Northern Aegean stone houses just like the other villages along this road. When descending from the village -at an altitude of 250 meters- towards sea level, one arrives at a location called Tilkitepe offering views over the island of Lesbos and the Aegean Sea, which there resembles a strait between the island and Turkish coastline. There are no buildings in the area. On this rather rocky and sloping piece of land, the landscape is marked by oak and olive trees. The wind blows from the northeast. The inclination of the land is directed towards the south, where the view is.
The major factors shaping the project were the land's relationship with the view, its slope, the pristine natural surroundings, and the strong winds blowing from the northeast. The approach of ‘Background Architecture’ was adopted as the right concept for such a pristine area. The structures do not compete with the landscape, and do not stand out. As much as possible, they blend in with the background and conceal themselves. While putting such a concept into practice, the land's slope becomes an advantage. Each house is concealed within the earth, and thus does not block the view of the houses at higher level. Such a settlement plan not only protects the houses from the northeasterly wind, but also hides them from view upon approach at first. When looking from the north towards the view in the south, no house is visible. When looking from the south to the north, only the glass façades of the houses can be discerned. The elevation difference between the houses is maintained with retaining walls, composed of local stones from the surrounding area.
The architectural project was designed together with Oknur Çalışkan and Burcu Ölez, while the landscape architect of the project is Zeyat Hattapoğlu.
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