From Units to Community Living. Sustainable Student Housing Design Proposal for Istanbul, Turkey

With its many universities and students increasing exponentially every day, Istanbul is Turkey’s most dense city in terms of student-academician population. Despite all its educational opportunities, the city does not have the infrastructure to support this dense population. The existing real estate options cannot meet the needs of the new student who will move to Istanbul with a limited budget or security concerns. Housing options for higher education students in Turkey can be divided into three categories. State-funded dormitories, University and foundation subsidized dormitories, and private student accommodations. Among these options, state-funded KYK dormitories, are the most budget-friendly, while private student housings are the most expensive. However, considering the lack of capacity of KYK dormitories and the disadvantages of the university-funded dormitories, it is a great need to build budget-friendly student accommodation in strategic locations in the city. In this context, the Içerenköy Neighborhood, the second most populated neighborhood of the city and the fourth most populated neighborhood in the country, was chosen as the project area. As a result of the urban analyses, it can be deduced that the district has opportunities for a possible student housing project and the existing options for student accommodation are insufficient. Examination of case studies shows that the most optimal solution to the needs of the students was to produce units with a concept based on the use of communal spaces. Creating spaces for plural usage by combining singular units is the focus of this design proposal. The concept is developed by connecting units with different variations and establishing both individual and communal spaces, with the consideration of the environmental factors of the site. The proposed design aims to best adapt to the dominant wind currents (northeast and southwest) affecting Istanbul and reach thermal comfort. Other main aims are to create green spaces in a neighborhood where green elements are lacking and to create a central node for locals in an area where the existing abandoned site arouses unsafe feelings for pedestrians.