marc koehler + ONZ architects wins kastamonu campus proposal

marc koehler + ONZ architects wins kastamonu campus proposal
all images courtesy of marc koehler architects

marc koehler architects together with ankara based onz architects have been awarded first prize for their design of the kastamonu campus in turkey. 156 architects had been invited by the ministry of education in turkey to compete in the design a series of ultra-modern educational campuses. their winning proposal; an asymmetrical star, embodies excellence, the stretching arms symbolic of the far reaching aspirations of growing minds; is an endeavor to create the largest high school campus ever designed.

the classrooms connect directly to the surrounding nature

the campus will be an advanced center of learning that will prepare the growing demographic of turkish youth for the challenges facing them in a rapidly growing economy. it will welcome ten thousand students, housing two thousand of them and will replace the school buildings in the towns the grounds of which are being reassigned for commercial purposes. the team wanted to give the students their own urban center. the ancient greek idea of the agora, a place where education, commerce and religion are celebrated, provided an inspiration. the numerous colonnades, open spaces, courtyards and refectory, sunk into the heart of the courtyard, are an expression of the campus as a center for educational, social and psychological development. by raising the central court, the expanse of the campus is compressed to a more intimate, human scale that the students can feel comfortable in. this raised feature of the star camouflages the intricate technical and well organized infrastructure beneath the campus, liberating the public and social areas above for pedestrians.

view of the library

the relationship between nature and architecture is defined by the open configuration of the buildings towards the natural surroundings. the star shape permits gentle transitioning between the educational, recreational, residential and natural surroundings. creating a spectacular panoramic view, the star seduces wanderers to instinctively expand their path into nature, enlarging the area of the campus and providing more space for reflection. sourcing the local marble and travertine, rich in copper and the abundant pine in the region, the design team had a strong focus on innovation and sustainability in the design. the strategic alignment of the arms channel winds to generate natural ventilation for the structures, while their orientation to the suns path naturally light the interior of the buildings and the clever use of glass creates a greenhouse effect that regulates the climate within. a water based geothermal system is also implemented to modify the internal climate, pumping water through copper pipes to heat and cool the buildings.

the dormitories are grouped around the lake, creating an intimate outdoor space

the natural topography of the surrounding landscape lead the design and the organization of the complex, aligning structures along the natural relief of the land to define their function and identity around the star. the educational facilities located along two of the arms were envisioned as a flexible and modular system, equipped with diverse, modular elements that easily allow for adaptable configuration of the structures. as were the dormitories, differentiated subtly by their size and intimately grouped to surround the lake which can also be used as a natural swimming pool with a private garden. a theatre, the refectory and the sports complex have an iconic appearance within the complex and together with the library which is embedded and terraced into the bank, are open to visitors from the region, injecting an impulse of urban life to the campus grounds.

 
the refectory is situated underneath the square, as an inverse pavilion

 
the interior street connects the different ‘fingers’ with classrooms. It also provides a large variety of study spaces, cafés and other public facilities

program diagram

classrooms are complemented with multipurpose spaces

section showing the two educational buildings and the square in between

project info:

client: turkish government
design: marc koehler, onat öktem (onz), zeynep öktem (onz)
design team: marc koehler, onat öktem (onz), zeynep öktem (onz), david klinkhamer, veerle rigter, loed stolte, ceyhun ruhisu altiok (onz), esat can meker (onz), besmier kamberi (onz).
design partners/co-architect: onz architects
consultant: ARUP (netherlands), arif künar

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