Alaçam Village and Research Institute

Ondokuzmayıs Üniversitesi

Project idea

SCENARIO & CONCEPT
Alaçam
Alaçam is located in the west of Samsun, by the Black Sea coast, and is a district rich in historical and natural texture. The project site is situated at the entrance of the district, on Geyikkoşan Street in Fatih Neighborhood. This point connects the village road with the urban fabric and brings together a wide green area. Its surroundings are covered with fallow lands and partially cultivated plots, and the terrain is generally flat. With the Black Sea on the north and the town rising toward the south, the site has a structure that allows both a strong visual relationship and wind utilization. When considering historical and spatial references of the region, the project’s focus is on sustainability, education, and production.

Scenario: “Knowledge and Production Convergence Point”
Alaçam has historically been an area where agricultural and cultural production intersected with knowledge. With the transformation brought by global knowledge networks and production, new educational and innovation-focused hybrid spaces are needed. This project proposes such a hybrid structure combining agriculture, innovation, knowledge production, and education under a modular system that is accessible both locally and globally.

Project description

CONCEPT
“Local Thinking for Alaçam; Modular Knowledge Cluster”

This project proposes a modern version of the village institutes, adapted to innovation and R&D activities. With the understanding that learning and production are inseparable, this educational and innovation campus integrates applied training fields, agricultural practices, workshops, and labs.

Design Philosophy:
Inspired by the heritage of Village Institutes

Hybrid educational-production model

Modularity and adaptability

Sociocultural and scientific intersection

Flexible architectural infrastructure

Key Design Approaches:
Modular & Fragmented Plan: Each part of building can operate independently but also interact with others.

Education and Production Together: Applied learning enriched by real production processes.

Ecological Design: Adapted to climate and topography; energy-efficient and environmentally responsible.

Open Courtyard & Social Hub: Encourages communal interaction and shared creative processes.

Technical information

Alaçam Village Institute and R&D Center – Architectural Report

Project Location and Conceptual Approach
The project site is located in the district of Alaçam in Samsun province, in a rural area near the Black Sea with high production potential. The design is inspired by the historical Village Institutes, which combined production and education processes, and reinterprets this philosophy through a contemporary R&D approach. In this context, the structure is envisioned as a spatial organization that both generates technology based on rural knowledge and supports collective life.

Site Strategy and Spatial Organization
The total area of the site is 35,000 m², and the built-up area is limited to a 20% footprint (approximately 7,000 m²). The building is shaped around an inward-facing courtyard system, creating a campus atmosphere integrated with nature through adjacent agricultural fields, greenhouse modules, and open sports areas.

Functional Distribution and Floor Organization
The building is designed with three floors, with technical infrastructure and parking solutions provided at the basement levels. The total enclosed area is 10,800 m², with a net usable area of 7,020 m².

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall, Experience Gallery, Administrative Units, Multipurpose Hall, Cafeteria

First Floor: Classrooms, Seminar Room, Digital Fabrication Lab, Project Offices, Library

Second Floor: Agriculture, Food, and Handcraft Workshops; Innovation and Ecology Laboratories

Basement Level -1: Shelter and technical areas, Parking, Generator, Water Tank, HVAC Systems

Structural System and Material Decisions
The building’s main structural system consists of a steel frame, with IPE 360 main beams and a composite floor system applied across all three floors. Reinforced concrete was used in the basement levels. The material palette is industrial, minimal, and natural: epoxy/stone/parquet for flooring, exposed concrete/wood for walls, and exposed MEP installations with acoustic panels for ceilings.

Landscape Design Approach
The landscape flows into the building through soft, Voronoi-based pathways, creating a circulation scheme that merges with nature. Greenhouse modules, agricultural plots, exercise zones, and educational gardens provide a multi-layered experience for users. Trees are placed based on a canopy diameter of 5–6 meters, providing shade and defining social spaces in the courtyard.

Conclusion and Design Character
This building is not merely an educational facility; it is a place for collective production, reflection, experimentation, and transformation. It reinterprets the productive and communal spirit of the Village Institute with a contemporary language—offering a user-focused, climate-responsive, and flexible living environment.

Documentation

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