A tranquil unity with Nature

mariette15
Apr 21, 2016
2 min read

Gumus Su Vıllas | Cirakoglu Architects 48000 Gümüşlük, Turkey (2014)

“Gumus Su Villas are located over the hills of Gümüslük Village, Bodrum, a tranquil harbour with over the 4000 years of historical and cultural heritage.

The urge to create a tranquil unity with the impressive nature formed the basis of the architectural approach. The composition that came out of the process is an up-to-date interpretation that blends elements of the local architecture with a new language of design. The basic idea was to define the single house unit strictly within a square, repeat it five times within the site and then leave the rest of the site to the nature.

The rooms that make up a single unit are detached as individual blocks so as to create semi-open spaces in between. The lounge, bedrooms, and bathrooms units that comprise each house are presented as blocks that are independent of each other. The open spaces between these units are reminiscent of shady narrow back-streets that allow cooling breezes to pass through.

The houses’ open courtyard, swimming pool and sun terrace were conceived as intrinsic parts of the construction. When all the parts are brought together, they form a distinct quadrangle and are shaded by a bamboo cane-work canopy. The stone walls and the wide glass surfaces define the different areas of the house in the simplest fashion. The location of the existing trees was one of the major consideration for the site layout. The exceptional view of the sea and landscape also guided the layout decisions.

The primary concern was to make use of traditional methods to provide energy efficiency. Thick stone walls and double walls provide sufficient thermal insulation. The bamboo shelter creates a secondary shading element in order to help to keep interiors cool. The semi open circulation areas let the breeze into the living spaces. Almost all materials are local and natural materials which are used in the surrounding traditional buildings.” (ArchDaily 2014, Gumus Su Vıllas | Cirakoglu Architects, ArchDaily, accessed 21 April 2016, http://www.archdaily.com/488291/gumus-su-villas-cirakoglu-architects/)