Doganbey Educational Research Center/Beyza Cetindag
In this project, which was designed for the project site located in the village of Eski Doğanbey in the Söke district of Aydın, it was aimed to design the Doğanbey Educational Research Center. As a design scenario, it was planned to conduct research on the national park, which is located on the Dilek peninsula and where Doğanbey village is located, together with young students, and to explain the importance and characteristics of the flora and fauna of the region to the students. In addition, the historical and cultural characteristics of the region will be conveyed to people through the exhibition areas.
Two different user groups were determined for the project: visitors and students who will come to the research. The circulation of the project for the visitors starts with a circulation path located in the landscape area after the parking lot, which contains the signs that are connected with the ruins in the area and give ideas about the history and structure of the area. This path leads people to the door on the south façade of the existing historical building and carries them to the indoor exhibition. The circulation, which continues on the upper floor of the existing building, directs people to the glass-fronted cafe by meeting the blind façade of the research center at the exit of the building, thus completing the circulation for the visitors.
For students, students will come to the research center with their programs in groups of 16 and will be divided into groups of 8, and will participate in training and research with the instructors at the beginning. The research center has the capacity to work with 32 - 40 students at the same time. In the research center, which has a closed area of 660 square meters, according to the scenario, there are lesson laboratories with 16 people capacity, study laboratories for 8 people, a co-working area, a meeting area for 48 people, and accommodation units for 8 people.
For the designed research center, it has been determined that the Old Doğanbey Village has an impressive silhouette shaped on the hillside. Throughout the project, the placement of the masses in harmony with the silhouette with a dynamic structure has been considered as the project concept.
While placing the building blocks, first of all, the slope of the land, its existing condition, and its potential were also taken into consideration. During the settlement of the mass, axes were determined and the orientation of the masses was spaced so that they were associated with the first existing historical building. Considering the building forms and dimensions in the village, the building was divided into different masses in order to break the mass effect. Care was taken not to exceed the dimensions of the existing historical building. The heights of the masses have been shaped by taking into account their functions and needs so that they do not obscure the historical building in the silhouette and create a dynamic structure in the silhouette. While creating the forms of the masses, the relation between them and the semi-open and open spaces they create was taken into consideration and different break areas were created for the users. Meanwhile, the landscape of the project land was also taken into consideration. In two different parts of the design, there are wooden pergolas used both as a shadow element on the south facade and to emphasize the entrance of the research part of the design, and these areas define semi-open spaces where people can spend time.
In the design, local materials such as stone and wood were used in harmony with the architecture of the village where the project area is located, while concrete was used to create a contrast with a modern language. In particular, by using exposed concrete on the eastern façade of the high-height mass, it is aimed to create a sharp contrast to the silhouette of the design on the eastern façade, which faces the river and is clearly visible as a whole with the village. At the same time, glass surfaces were used on some facades, taking into account reasons such as creating transparency and receiving light. On the west side of the design, which faces the village and the existing historical building, especially local stone façades were used and the façade was left blind to guide the visitors.
