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Elmalı House
Type
Residential
Year
2024
Architect
PIN Architects
Builder
Evv Yapı Üretim
Photography
Salih Küçüktuna
Award / Publication
The Story of How the Project Began - Told by the Homeowners
"Everything began with that song... While dreaming about the future with my spouse, that song played in the background... 'Let's find a place... close to the sea, far from the world...' In that moment, we decided to stop dreaming and take action, making a radical change in our lives."
Homeowners are just one of many couples seeking a different lifestyle. Due to factors such as the work tempo of city life, population density, decline in air and life quality, rising living costs, earthquake risk, infrastructure problems, the diminishing quality of social and residential areas, and social alienation, many have sought to leave the city and create a life in a quieter, more natural setting. The pandemic, in particular, made us reassess the importance of home life, the need for private and open spaces, and the environmental factors surrounding them. With the increasing variety of flexible work models, the transition from city to countryside has accelerated, making new life projects possible. The countryside, with its rich natural environment, strong community culture, and the potential for a balanced work-life experience, has become increasingly attractive.
Elmalı House is located in Elmalı Village, a part of the largest district in the southwest of Turkey, Ula, near Akyaka town center in the province of Muğla. The site is positioned near the eastern boundary of the village, where an active stream flows in the fall and winter months, and borders a forested area. One side of the house is surrounded by pine forests, while the other is situated on the southeast slope of an agricultural plain. The project consists of two parcels: one with a single-story 150 m² modern concrete house with two bedrooms, an open kitchen, terraces, and a pool, and the other with a guest house, a traditional Ula village house of 90 m², renovated to its original form.
It is possible to encounter traditional Ula houses in Elmalı and surrounding villages. Building these houses authentically is no longer feasible today due to costs, craftsmanship, materials, and resources. While efforts have been made to preserve the characteristic features of these anonymously built houses, unfortunately, the examples produced with current construction methods are of poor quality. The traditional reconstruction of the guest house located on the parcel aims to preserve the existing village texture and to revive an existing building.
Architecture here has fulfilled a different mission; while the architect built this structure with the same dimensions and in the most faithful manner, they have also preserved the memories passed down from the village’s past to the present, keeping the village’s memory alive. The goal here is not to adopt a nostalgic, formal, and popular architectural stance, but rather an honest approach, using the tension and contrast between the traditional and the modern. Although the house was completed in the second phase and has not yet been fully used, it has already received appreciation and approval from the villagers, as conveyed by the homeowners. While passing through the village, teh homeowner was stopped by a local, Hasan , who thanked him for rebuilding the house in the same way and expressed his happiness, explaining that the house belonged to his uncle and that he had spent his childhood in and around that house. The guest house has taken its place as a contemporary example of vernacular architecture.
The entrance of the U-shaped house is located on the southeast side, accessible via stairs from the open garage area facing the Elmalı Village road. The natural slope separating the garage from the house, along with garden walls, garage doors, water troughs, and guest house walls, defines the boundaries. Stairs lead from the garage to the entrance platform. The southeast-facing village side of the house is covered with the stones from a small barn that once stood there, giving the façade a historic touch. The use of natural stone provides natural thermal insulation while creating a visual dialogue with the village through materials and texture. The building’s design also emphasizes the centrality of nature, balancing the natural landscape with architectural space and light. Behind this façade, on the southwest wing of the U-plan, the kitchen and entry hall are located. The kitchen opens to a west-facing terrace under a large cantilevered roof, and also has an exit to the southwest garden. This allows the kitchen to directly access both its private terrace and open spaces for use at different times of the day, offering functional space. While the kitchen is open-plan, it maintains its own private area. The entrance hall provides direct access to the living room, which extends into the terrace and pool area.
The living room, a high-ceilinged space in the center of the U-shaped building, is defined by a northwest terrace and a large cantilevered roof above it. The U-plan creates a private and intimate living space by enclosing the central living area, which is entirely made of glass, opening to the terrace. This maximizes outdoor space, especially in the Mediterranean and Aegean climates, where the area can be opened up during much of the year to expand the living area.
At the north end of the U-plan, there are two bedrooms, one of which is the master, along with two bathrooms and a laundry room. The bedrooms open toward the north-facing rocky landscape and are isolated from other areas of the house, each with their own private front gardens. The building’s design takes advantage of the natural slope, allowing the house to experience nature panoramically and settle into the terrain harmoniously, with half of the living area and bedrooms embedded in the ground. This provides thermal insulation and helps reduce energy consumption, minimizing the carbon footprint. The expansive, semi-open terrace faces the Aegean hills to the northwest and ends with an infinity pool, marking the boundary between the plot and the natural slope. The constantly changing reflections create a visual spectacle throughout the day.
The guest house is a traditional Ula village house that was reconstructed using a reinforced concrete foundation and wall system while maintaining the original wood construction techniques. The roof features a high-entry terrace supported by wooden columns, which extends to the west. The guest house has three rooms, each with independent doors opening onto the terrace. The main entrance leads to a room with a fireplace, living area, and kitchen. This space opens into the backyard, and the two bedrooms are also accessible from the interior.
In traditional homes, the toilet is located outside the main building, and the bathroom is usually next to the kitchen. However, the guest house has been adapted to modern needs with bathrooms and toilets within the rooms. The window and door openings have been carefully recreated to match the original design, with two skylights added to bring in more natural light. The proportions of the roof and walls are preserved, using traditional materials such as natural tiles, insulated aluminum frames, and low-e glass to enhance energy efficiency.
The kitchen is designed to meet the daily needs of a family, and the entire structure, including the wooden roof, natural stone walls, wooden shutters, and fixed furniture, has been crafted by local artisans using traditional methods.
Through the multidisciplinary working methodology and techniques applied in PIN's projects, collaboration between engineers, local contractors, construction masters, landscape architects, and others leads to the creation of structures with unique expressive languages. The use of concrete and glass for structural expression, the craftsmanship of stonemasons and woodworkers, and the sculptural precision of form creation by concrete and formwork masters results in structures that embrace both the built and natural environments. This collaboration focuses on creating a quality building while maintaining harmony with the surrounding space. As a result of these efforts, modern and traditional architectural elements come together, shaped through an architectural strategy that addresses basic forms with materials such as raw concrete, natural stone, steel, glass, natural wood, and aluminum.
The region where the structures are located is a high-risk seismic zone (1st degree), requiring special engineering solutions for the structure. The union of structure and material is critical in allowing the building to be constructed in a form that is both economical, low-maintenance, and highly earthquake-resistant. Raw concrete, as a plastic material, is a solid and 100% natural component. The waste generated during construction has been collected and disposed of according to sustainable ecological criteria. The entire structure is composed of concrete, steel, aluminum, glass, natural stone, and wood. No architectural materials that cannot be recycled have been used anywhere in the building.
The south-facing facade of the raw concrete residential structure is covered with stones from the old building, using a unique weaving technique. The stones on the southeastern side of the building, which faces the village, come from a small barn that no longer exists. These stones were arranged in a specific pattern of vertical stones by stonemasons, led by Murat Usta from Çine, as part of a team. The aim here is to establish an architectural dialogue between the building and the village, while also showcasing the craftsmanship of the stonemasons in a way that highlights their skills. This collaboration between architect and craftsmen reflects traditional building systems in their most beautiful form and is one of the key characteristics defining the identity of the structure. Master Stonemason Murat Usta proudly shared his experience: “I come from a family of stonemasons for at least three generations; I’ve done many different jobs, but this is the first time I’ve built such a wall.” The same applies to all the craftsmen who worked on the raw concrete construction, such as Concrete Framework Master İlhan Usta and his team, Construction Chief Mr. Mevlüt Derer, and others. The shared goal is to produce a good architectural structure.
The form and structure of the building express a singular object. When considered with all the components that form the building’s tectonics, architectural details transform into components that form the identity of the building within this whole.From gargoyles to concealed rain downpipes, from gaps in material transitions to large cantilevered eaves, from walls and floors with almost no cladding beyond what is necessary to the reduction of glass and frame elements, many components illustrate the character and identity of the building as a product of this approach.Architectural form is a language, continuously evolving. Additionally, technical and performative functions carry the building’s design beyond any local vernacular ideas based on accumulated knowledge. This allows the architecture to showcase a technical and functional response while presenting an example of Super-Regionalism in design.
Consequently, the textures of modern materials—raw concrete, natural stone, wood, plaster, steel, aluminum, and glass—combine seamlessly with natural stone and landscape elements to break away from the monochrome gray, white, and black palette inside and outside the building. As described by Gökhan Karakuş in his earlier critical essay on Çıtlık House, the fundamental composition of Super-Regionalism results in dramatic horizontal and vertical extensions of spaces and volumes through extended concrete plates and eaves above the terraces. Despite being a highly modern building, the combination of materials and forms in raw textures, accentuated by design and structural clarity, makes visitors feel the process behind the building.
Akyaka's local landscape in Turkey’s Aegean region is a crucial feature of the design. PIN’s approach to Super-Regionalism uses the site’s characteristics and data to combine the details of the land with the potentials of modern architecture, expressed through a strong structural and scientific approach.
At the project's inception, one of the key and decisive criteria also presents a paradox for the architect. The challenge lies in creating a modern structure using advanced contemporary technologies, while meeting the high standards of sustainability with limited construction and planning budgets. Balancing the needs with the budget, while ensuring that architectural aesthetics and the creative process are not adversely affected, requires the correct setting of parameters for the design process through strategic decisions. PIN's architectural design approach, developed through its founding principles, addresses this necessity and offers strategies on how to design and build an economic structure. Particularly in developing countries and rural areas, there are specific rules for constructing quality buildings economically, which are developed into architectural strategies through experience and knowledge. Identifying the correct needs, addressing infrastructure solutions, analyzing and determining available resources, offering a timeless and unique architectural style, ensuring full integration of form, structure, and tectonics with engineering and infrastructure projects, coordinating fieldwork with real-life application, and maintaining continuous dialogue between homeowners and architects, all while ensuring mutual trust, are all vital to creating good architecture.
As an office that has been building new structures in the region every year since our first project, Çıtlık House, nearly 10 years ago, we have had the opportunity to analyze and synthesize the local character, experiencing it and continuously evolving our projects. We believe that quality architecture, especially in developing countries and rural areas, is crucial not only for the physical environment but also for the new generation to grow with an architectural culture. Alongside projects like Çıtlık House and Ataköy House, which were nominated for the Aga Khan Awards, we have had the chance to design and construct numerous special residential projects in areas such as Çambeleni, Taşkesik, Yılanlık, and Elmalı in the past decade. We believe that this has contributed to forming a contemporary architectural inventory for the region and integrating architectural heritage with modern structures.
All of our projects are residential, and the residents of these houses are not seasonal or vacation homeowners. Unlike coastal cities with tourist attractions, there has been a noticeable migration from urban to rural areas in this region, and the community formed by people coming from the cities has contributed significantly to the region socially and economically. Rem Koolhaas’ "Countryside" course and the exhibition by the same name have brought attention to this matter. In conclusion, it may be possible to observe the new traces of contemporary architecture starting from rural areas. This raises the question of whether contemporary local architecture is possible.
Interestingly, the Nail Çakırhan House, designed by Nail Çakırhan for himself in 1971 and awarded the Aga Khan Architecture Award, is one of the first examples of contemporary local architecture in Turkey. The ideas and forms of Çakırhan’s house were simply outlined and later executed using techniques from traditional masters. In a similar manner, the architect worked with local builders and focused on details with raw concrete and glass, a shift from the original materials of wood, stone, and plaster. Yet, the building was constructed with limited industrial tools, and local builders and craftsmen, with whom the architect maintained a strong dialogue, maximized the potential of the limited budget. Today’s architects and builders continue to create original structures and contribute to the built environment with a similar motivation, albeit using different technologies and materials. Architecture, evolving through the ages, continues to adapt to new needs and conditions. Modern buildings must not only be strong, low-maintenance, and aesthetically pleasing but also sustainable, ecological, economical, smart, flexible, and biophilic. When all these features are combined, they offer the opportunity for contemporary architecture to evolve, a chance to become part of a new architectural heritage.
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