G House
We made our first visit to the site where G House would be built on a rainy January day. We drove as far as the cars could go, and then after a short walk, we reached the site, located on the slopes of a deep valley surrounded by rocky cliffs and olive trees in the Gökçeovacık area.
The site consisted of a limestone rock mass with extraordinary beauty, shaped by rainwater that had eroded it over thousands of years, along with a nature piece covering over 1 acre. The rocky area had a view of Göcek Island and the surrounding islands, and we were under a light rain. While the landscape would greet us in the spring and summer with its extraordinary fragrances and vibrant colors, at that moment, it was only the sound of rain that greeted us.
The sky above us was covered with gray clouds, and here and there, patches of bright white told us that the sun was behind them, shining toward the sea. The colors of nature and the tones of green stretched toward the sea from the sky that had been cleared by the rain, merging with the dark blue at the horizon where the clouds met. As we descended the rocky terrain to see the boundaries of the land, the rain increased in intensity. We had caught one of those joyful downpours characteristic of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. There wasn’t even a tree big enough to shelter us, so climbing back up to the cars was no longer an option,
and we let ourselves be in the rain. Sitting on a rock, soaking wet in the rain, and not complaining about it. These experiences undoubtedly influence the relationship the architect forms with the place where they will design a project. The homeowner has lived many of these experiences repeatedly in different ways during the times when they dreamed about the house they would live in. The rest of the day was spent mostly trying to dry off next to a stove while talking about the project. And interestingly, architects design these buildings precisely to protect themselves from these conditions and create a home where their users can live. As the architect can empathize with the homeowners through these experiences and emotions, the building gradually transforms from a mere structure, defined as a dwelling, into a home and a refuge. Many experiences are lived when there is no physical house there; you are within nature, not inside a structure. Yet, the question we are still pursuing is: how can a structure be built from within a piece of nature, where we can experience the outside world?
G House is a structure that offers different experiences during each visit, both during its construction and after its completion. It is the very definition of being in nature. The building’s relationship with the ground is established solely through individual foundation pieces where its supporting legs are attached. No hard landscaping elements have been used around the building on the site. The vegetation and the soil cover have not been disturbed.
The building’s water needs are supplied from its water tank, and its electricity needs are produced from solar panels. Despite being entirely made of glass, and in spite of its infrastructure, air conditioning has not been used yet. The building is positioned parallel to the valley and the slope. It connects to the ground via a platform that links the cliffs on the sea-facing side and the natural flat area on the entrance side where the house is accessed. The areas where the building sits or the entrance levels are natural elevations. There are no retaining walls in any of the areas where the building is placed.In this extraordinary piece of nature, where even walking is difficult, dreaming of a life in a small house and convincing the architect to engage in dialogue and the contractor to undertake the project, all with a limited budget, was probably the most challenging part.
G House is located on the rocky slope of a valley that stretches in the southeast-northwest axis in the Gökçeovacık area of Muğla province on Turkey's southwestern coast. In this green valley covered by Aegean and Mediterranean vegetation, the single-story glass-fronted steel construction building has a total of 75 m² of enclosed space, along with an open terrace area of up to 50 m². The building form is a rectangular shape parallel to the slope of the valley, and its narrow facade, which rotates at a certain angle and faces the sea, directs the view toward the landscape.
On the other hand, we embarked on designing a building in this highly sloped terrain with minimal intervention in nature and an ecologically sustainable structure. We organized the maximum enclosed area of 75 m² with a living space, kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom, along with a niche for dressing and other storage needs. The living area consists of a kitchen, bathroom and closet behind it, and a bedroom connected by corridors on both sides of the house, completing a rectangular layout. The transition areas are part of the spaces traversed, and on one side, they contain niches for storage, while on the other side, there are niches with the bathroom sink. There are no elements such as doors or cabinet doors between the spaces.
The house has an entirely open-plan scheme, and every point is utilized. The kitchen island and the fireplace in the living area define certain functional zones. The house is surrounded by a terrace and eaves. The architectural and structural design has been carried out within the limitations imposed by the structure and environmental conditions, as well as the budget constraints. The building, entirely made of steel construction, has facades that are fully glass, with solid wall applications in a few areas where needed. In such a challenging geography, a limited budget, maximum living space, and good architecture are not always elements that can come together skillfully. The strategy here is to keep the architectural design above a certain level while optimizing the budget and creating the right architecture. Therefore, on one hand, functionality, on the other hand, correct material choices, and at the same time, an experience-oriented architectural design. G House represents the most transparent form of existence as a building within a piece of nature, and perhaps that briefly summarizes the structure. From the recyclable materials used in the building to the illusion created by the reflective properties of the glass, it represents a temporary presence that will not exceed a lifetime in that space.
At the first meeting at the PIN Architects office, we were discussing the digital map sent to us through a 3D printed land model. Since we had not yet visited the site, the data about the project area consisted of a few photos and digital drawings of this model. At that moment, it is one of the crucial decision points for the architect. In theory, the architect analyzes every possible scenario within the limits of the real world and can design in every situation that pushes the limits of environmental factors, architecture, technology, and engineering.
However, resources are not always unlimited. The low-cost strategy, which is one of the important inputs for the project, and the physical conditions stand in direct contrast to each other. In this case, close collaboration between the builders, engineers, architect, and employer is inevitable. Therefore, designing something you think you cannot build and discussing the matter with the construction team before creating the architectural plans, obtaining their approval, and proceeding with the project is a more accurate decision, and that is exactly what happened. The project process started and progressed with cooperation in the intersection of the architect's office and the field, with technical, detail, experience, and knowledge-based collaboration.
Countryside
Economic, technological, and environmental factors, the diversification of flexible work models, the possibility of internet access, and the scientific and technological foundation of migration from cities to rural areas are shaping the foundation of rural migration. As concerns such as climate change and food security increase, developments in organic farming and permaculture are accelerating. On the other hand, the development of infrastructure for rural living or, independently of infrastructure, self-sufficient buildings that produce and collect their own energy and water are making rural life more attractive.Aesthetic, functional, and sustainable contemporary architectural products are also contributing to bringing the comfort of modern life to rural areas.
