HASAT / HARVEST
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Competition: Izmir Sustainability Center (S-Hub) Architectural Project Competition (İBB Izmir Metropolitan Municipality)
Period: 2023
Type/Program: Sustainability Center
Surface: 3944 m2
Location: Bayraklı/Izmır, Turkey
Status: Competition Proposal
Team: Özge ZABUN(M.Arch.), Hande ZABUN ESER(M.Arch.), Elif Dilara ALAN(Arch.), Yıldız CEMALOĞLU(Arch.), Muhammed Enes Aktaş(Arch.), Asu PALA(Arch. Student),
Nilay UYANIK(Arch. Student).

Climate change and global warming, which are already having an impact, are forcing us to rethink urban planning and architecture. The changes resulting from global warming indicate that today’s residential areas and the relationship of people living in these areas to nature should be rethought. In this context, the construction of the future of İzmir Bayraklı region has started by focusing on the nature (forest area) in the surroundings.
In our project proposal, which was started with the aim of protecting and improving the nature, it is recommended to create a protection belt and restore the habitat despite the construction in and around the Atatürk Forest. It is suggested that the existing structures within this belt should be demolished and replaced with vegetation after they have completed their life cycle. The desire for a sustainable life cycle forms the basis of the new patterns of life established in the coexistence of urban life and nature proposed by this design. The new lifestyle, which we describe as an alternative public interaction/communication space, incorporates an environmentally sensitive design idea that is integrated into the region.
In the context of environmental sustainability; by proposing a strategy of no growth in the region, it aims to protect natural resources, reduce environmental impact, water and energy consumption, protect green areas, and protect biodiversity resources. Cultural sustainability: The proposed no-growth strategy contributes to preserving the local cultural heritage and maintaining the urban identity. It is recommended that historic structures such as the 
Saime Sultan Mansion, the Braggiotti House, and the Giraud House, which are located near the project area, be preserved and incorporated into urban life, and the functions of traditional structures be modified and added to the present day.
Economic sustainability: Establishes a strategy based on the principle of economy, efficiency, and long-term cost-effectiveness during the design, construction, and operation phases of the building. The proposal aims to reduce the cost of the building, use energy and resources efficiently and reduce future maintenance and running costs.
The proposal design aims to define a sustainable new relationship between urban life and nature. He proposes a cycle to establish the unity of the city and nature. This cycle aims to establish a balanced and sustainable structure by worrying about some adverse effects of building practices on nature and their consequences. The main design criterion of the project is to ensure the sustainability of natural resources by designing a multifunctional and energy-efficient structure. In this process, protecting and increasing the existing green areas, arranging the re-evaluated areas at the urban and building scale aiming at social participation, giving new functions to the historical buildings by giving them new functions suitable for the use of the area, bringing them into social and cultural life, encouraging the citizens to use bicycles and public transportation, maintaining the traditional production style in the region with workshops focused on.