Natural Healing and Wellbeing Center in Tuzla, İçmeler

Istanbul Kültür University, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul

Project idea

The desired topic in the project is to design a natural healing and wellbeing center in Tuzla, İçmeler. The location of the project area is home to several thermal facilities and the region with the largest marine industry in the country. In addition, the proximity of the land to the sea and the existing green texture offers an atmosphere where people who come here can relax and find their own selves. Inspired by the pebble stones on the beach in such an ecological environment, I wanted to reflect the plasticity effect and the different dynamics of the stones, and as if looking from the sea side, I created the forms by considering the areas and needs of the masses in order to create that nesting and stacking effect of a series of pebbles. While the masses were being settled, the majority of them were placed facing the sea view.

Project description

In order to design the natural healing and wellbeing center, it is necessary to first understand what these terms mean. Healing is a process of a regeneration of health problem. According to common view, natural healing a biological process that is focusing on regeneration of the body by using only natural tools,therapies,foods, and ingredients. Wellbeing is the holistic condition of a humanbeing according to different notions like physical,mental,physcological ,economical and social. There is a current interest to the natural versions of everything in relation with human body. Considering all these needs, spaces were considered to be in contact with the body and soul. Unlike other centers, in order not to leave the guests coming to the facility on the side of the road, a curve was created from the side of the road to the lake, leaving passengers inside, creating an entrance impression and creating an atmosphere that would make them feel in the wellness center and semi-open circulation was provided in the public area.By designing a waffle structure in the middle volume, both the pedestrian traffic flow was managed and a structure holding the other masses together was created.In general, functions such as accommodation, clinic area, life-style zone and spa unit are distributed in these units. In addition, semi-open areas were created for the people in the restaurant and yoga. On the lake, hard grounds and green areas such as small pebble unit were created and recreation areas were created in the lake section. On these hard floors, it was aimed that people can do various activities such as yoga, meeting areas, and sports exercises. The accommodation consists of a collective accommodation unit with a large courtyard and private suite unites at lower elevation. All of the private suites are placed facing the sea and special outdoor pools are created for them. The clinic unit has a separate entrance independent of the others, and different textures such as water, stone and grass have been placed in the landscape areas so that people here can do water therapy and other therapies. Units such as life-style zone, spa, yoga and fitness, which people use intensively, are placed in front of the lake. These masses have been combined to intertwine in order to ensure continuity of the closed area.There is also a separate entrance for the mass of the spa unit that guests will use the most. (For people who will not stay at this facility but will come to this center only for spa service) Semi-olympic swimming pool, Turkish bath, sauna, steam bath, dressing rooms, and there are functions like shower. On the first floor, there are massage and therapy rooms. A roof garden was created for people here to feel better and rest. At the same time, the first floor of the Spa is in the form of a mezzanine, and by the railing of the massage rooms on the side of the pool facing the pool, it was provided to create a cognitive perception by hearing the water sound of the people in these rooms. On the basement floor (5o vehicle) there is a car parking area and service entrance for the facility. On this floor, the back of house unit was resolved to meet the service needs of the facility.

Technical information

The design also differs from the load-bearing system and creates an original language. As in the bird's nest design of Herzog de meuron on the roof parts, it consists of steels with a different pattern. It is a wooden waffle structure that covers all masses in medium volume. The pebble masses, consisting of suites at lower elevations, consist of a reinforced concrete system that is planned to be formed using the desired formwork.