The central idea of these five houses - on a rural, sloping site overlooking Hebil Bay - is "architecture as an extension of the topography". Their forms and spatial organisation are inspired by lava flows from a nearby extinct volcano: rising vortexes that merge back into the ground, with fluid arrangements of interior space. At each vortex’s heart is a highly sculpted courtyard centred around one of the site’s ancient olive trees, all of which were retained. The reinforced-concrete structure’s steel framing was modelled using ship-building software, echoing Bodrum’s boat-building history. Volcanic basalt is the only stone used inside, with volcanic agglomerate from site excavations outside. Large glass surfaces blur the boundaries between landscape and architecture. Roofs are partially vegetated and accessible.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
