Urban farms center
Gultepe, Istanbul, Turkey . 2004 . Graduation thesis project
Technical University of Delft
This based on a research exploring informal occupation of marginal territories on the gecekondu (squatter-settlement) of Gultepe in Istanbul, Turkey.
Among all the unbuilt semi-public spaces of this neighborhood, the ones located next to the public roads are not occupied by any activities. There is an impactful contrast between these spaces and the informal inner courtyards located in the same neighborhood. The courtyards are cared for, occupied and maintained by the dwellers.
The primary idea for the design was to stimulate uses for the unoccupied areas along the road with a program that maintains its flexible and transgressive character. These spaces should be stimulated and occupied with activities rather than with physical mass/permanent buildings. Thus, the proposal consists in a network of urban farms. Farming is an activity the Gultepe dwellers relate to, as they come from rural areas.
The urban farm network is supported by a Facility Center, which is composed by a canteen, a market, open-air urban farms, workshop areas, information spaces and classrooms. The building is fragmented to create several open areas and to create small volumes that relate with the scale of the surrounding buildings. These open spaces create alternative public routes between the bottom road and the center of Gultepe.
The research for this project is featured on the book Border Conditions. Available here
