Applied Sciences High School
This semester, we were given the task to design a high school in a site assigned to us at Talas, Kayseri. The site already included an existing high school and the Talas Governorship building, which is also located in a significant location where the Hoca Ahmet Yesevi and Ataturk highways meet.
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When doing the site analysis, I learnt that site had a huge potential for social integration, as it was right in the middle of a very interactive part of Talas. Unfortunately, the site is not being used in that way and it like small garden trapped in between tall residential buildings. Although the high school is designed for a wide variety of educational practices, I decided that the main focus would be towards applied sciences. This is because applied sciences is field that never ceases to discover something new, and the ever-growing study always requires new pedagogical approaches. Applied science is also an area of study that requires extensive outdoor learning and practical work, something that I believe Kayseri has a strong potential for. The city has places like the Erciyes Mountain, several historic sites and natural features.
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My concept therefore was to create a porous built landscape which invited the neighbourhood inside, but still respect the privacy of the educational institute. I split the site into two areas, a green and sloped one (to protect the existing vegetation) and a flat area where the formal buildings would be. In this way, I could also create a separation between the formal sector of the educational instituted and a relatively more practical and interactive area. The formal area includes offices, classrooms, laboratories and a library. The green area includes a greenhouse and open air teaching nodes.
Moreover, I created a courtyard that is open on one end and connected to the greenhouse through a secure underground passage. The courtyard really helps to support my idea of having a space that people outside the school can access in a controlled manner.
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I was also studying my site in a de-constructivist method, by which I broke the overall mass to create some sort of communication between the buildings that also somehow communicates with the neighbourhood.
