FALL 2021-ARCH401

The unearthing of Karahantepe has been an incredible discovery that is going to open a lot of new chapters in history books, as well as opportunities for the site. This is where my project comes in, by trying to create a settlement close to the site which will furthermore support the activities of further excavation and touristic opportunities. My conceptual approach to the area was to incorporate the site’s activities with the advantage of its location in Tek Tek Daglari national park. The idea was to create a route connecting Karahantepe with the national park, Gobeklitepe, Harran and Sanliurfa, with a campsite being placed at the former. The scenario I envisioned was a settlement including 3 separate units, with connections between them. This includes firstly a visitor center, separated into archaeological and national park exhibitions, secondly the archaeological units (depots, specialized laboratories, workshop units and accommodation spaces) and thirdly the campsite itself. 

The primary design intentions were to blend the local vernacular architecture and contemporary structures. The driving factor behind this was the idea of having some sort of subterranean units that are accessed though passages and craters excavated into the earth. I therefore created this by having circular dugouts, connected by a series of ramps and combine them with more contemporary rectangular building units which got light from conical shapes on the roof, an inverted continuation of the craters. A few of these craters are adjacent and protruded by rammed earth walls used as exhibition walls with reliefs of shapes found from the excavation.  

The circulation in the settlement varies on the type of user.  The visitors enter the settlement first from the parking, entering the welcoming unit to be briefed and ticketed before they proceed into the visitor center exhibits, eventually exiting at the pavilions where they wait for the shuttle to go to the excavation site. They return to the same area where they can have a snack or buy a souvenir at the café. The archaeologists have their own parking connected directly to their accommodation. Upon their return from working at the site, they go directly to the fountain to wash up before they enter the dining area, and similarly change their clothes before they go to their rooms at the accommodation unit. This unit is also connected to the fitness room and hobby garden. The laboratories and studios work closely together with each other and the depot, with an open area in the middle to be used in case of dirt handing, and a courtyard to transport material from the depot to the laboratories if needed. The campsite works mainly on its own with service units but is also connected to the visitor center as a secondary entry.  

The blend of contemporary and vernacular meant that there were several technological parts in the project as well. The main one being the conical openings on the roof for lighting, which are tilted mostly to the north to control the light as well as glazed to seal them up. These are going to be made of clay brick and reflect on similar applications as the Harran houses. The rectangular building units are also would be trimmed circularly and glazed on that arched wall for maximum natural light. Lastly, having the buildings moderately underground would also keep the interiors cool, and the reinforced concrete walls would be pigmented to blend the settlement into its terrain.