It is a building designed on a sloping land at the intersection of an old shanty settlement and a military area in the Çekmeköy district, one of the most popular settlements of recent years in Istanbul. Since its establishment, the two largest universities in Turkey, the Turkish-German University and the Rize Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, merged and established a company to develop a joint technopark investment. This company, Digitalpark Teknokent, invited three major architectural firms to compete for the project design. The designs were presented to the company in 45 days. Our design was deemed worthy of selection and contracts were made. The project process paused between 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. In December 2022, construction permits were obtained and the design process took place.

There is a diagonal diamond shaped land stretching from the northeast to the southwest. The highest point of this land is in the Southwest, the lowest point is in the Northeast, and in the north there are the northern forests of Istanbul, and the wind direction is dominated by the Northeast and Southwest. Northwest winds bring fresh air from the northern forests to the project direction. The land in the form of a valley was carved into the project. Blocks are placed respectfully on both sides of this valley. so as not to block each other’s sun. Oval forms were used in the building design and in determining the interior geometry of the valley. In this way, human circulations were facilitated and flow was provided within the project. For this project architecture comes from synthesis of human flow of habits and the ecology of the land. We created a podium level and we attached the entrance, entertaining water pool, coffee shops and many other social equipments on this podium level. The valley then functions as the inner courtyard.

While sun blockers are used on sunlit facades, they are not used on sunless facades. Low fading glasses are used which thermally transmit sunlight but protect it from UV rays. Thus, while daylight reaches the interior of the building easily but the UV, which gives off thermal heat, is prevented. We placed solar panels on the roofs of the buildings, these panels were placed to meet some of the building’s needs and also rain water is collected on the roof and made ready for use again as gray water. In addition, Mep systems were used in the building aiming 0 carbon light access.