Voronoi Student Center

FMV Işık Üniversitesi

Project idea

The main purpose while designing this project was to create an area where students can come together and study, express their creativity, spend good time no matter their interests are.
“I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else.” ―Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek
In conclusion, the intention of the project is designing a place that allows people to study or spend time peacefully and happily with the sound of the sea.

Project description

ENVIRONMENT DATA
One of the main characteristics of the site, which is in Kadıköy, İstanbul and also including a part of Moda Park, is that part of the site is a steep sloping strip all along the site. There are apartments in the north elevation of the site as well as rocky beach in the south elevation. The sea view that is one of the benefits of the beach has been used as much as possible in the project. There is a road that is parallel to the site and this road has two directions. While the eastern direction is almost never used except some cars, the western direction is the most popular way of the pedestrians. The site has the qualities of Marmara Climate.

CREATIONS
In order to carry out this purpose, silent and loud study area, arts and crafts room and a music room has been created. Under the silent study area a library has been designed that is connected to upstairs with a gallery space. A common area has been created for students to relax and unite, it has a small kitchen within for fast food or drink. Main building has the shape of two parallel arcs, it has been designed like that to ensure every space in the building benefits from the sea view. Along with a multi-purpose building where activities such as seminars, workshops and exhibitions can be organized, a restaurant and a different cafe has been created where student can satisfy their eating and drinking needs. Cafe is much closer to the main building attached even, compared to the restaurant because students drink beverages more frequently than they eat food, while studying.

LEVEL ARRANGEMENT
It seemed right to make the project a part of the slope. For this reason, the ground on the road level has been lowered until it is on the level of the park, with three meter height retaining walls. The ground where every building is sitting is three meters lower than the road elevation. The level where the restaurant is sitting one meter lower than rest of the buildings. This caused different levels of ground in front of the main building and restaurant. Because of that it has been possible to connect every level with ramps. The connection between the level of the restaurant and the level of the other buildings has been established by making entrance of the restaurant and sitting areas on different levels.

Technical information

This project consists of three different buildings and a shell connecting them together. The buildings has been separated because their functions are very different. The shell is a structure that
can be walked on with entrance from the road level and the parking lot. Also, entry from the shell to the study areas is possible.
Voronoi is a geometrical diagram comprised of widening of randomly located points on a two dimensional plane until there is no empty area between points (ex. adherent soapy water bubbles). The ellipses that has been deformed to be tangent to the edges of the cell of the geometrical diagram, are the holes on the shell.
The ivories of the piano in the music room has been inspiring for the design of the facade. Also, the places and heights of some facade elements has been changed in order to give the feeling of rain and peace. South and north elevations has been covered with glass for south elevations view and the consistent light of the north elevation.
There are stairs that people can use to sit or walk in shape of an arched curve from road level lowering three meters. There are ramps in two sides of the stairs. The life of physically handicapped people has been thought of in this project as much as possible. Some part of the level that buildings are on has been stretched out to expand concourse and provide shadow to the people on the lower level.

Co-authors

My instructor for this project: Efe Emre Usman

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