Sloped House
Bodrum, Turkey
GADarchitecture

Inspired by an ancient marvel, Sloped House is a modern approach to residential design

Courtesy GADarchitecture

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above.

The design of the house was inspired by one of the ancient seven wonders of the world, the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos, built in Bodrum around 350 BC. Renowned for its unusual design, the Mausoleum incorporated four steep staircases that bordered the sides of the building. The architect created the residence, with its ramp-like roof, as a modern translation of this famous design.

However, designing a house in Bodrum thousands of years after the Mausoleum, the architect faced the modern challenges of building codes and environmental awareness. GADarchitecture notes that: “Strict building codes demand innovative and flexible approaches to design in order to find ways of introducing new interpretations of the traditional villa-style houses that predominate the area.”

In addition to building codes, the natural landscape of Bodrum posed a challenge. The goal was to harmonize with the landscape and avoid harming the surroundings. Natural light filters through the ramp roof, all the living spaces, and even the basement level. In addition, the sloped system was designed to respond to the area’s high risk of earthquakes.

Located on a steep hill shaded by olive trees with views over the Hebil Bay, the residence has a guest room on first slope, a living room and kitchen on the second slope, and bedrooms and bathrooms on the third. Traditional materials such as wood and natural stone mixed with industrial components will be used in construction.

Sloped House is the first of a series of five houses that will be built on a plot of 7 acres. While the house will serve as a prototype for the future residences, the others will undoubtedly be modified by adding or removing floors depending on the slope of the land at the site of each project. Despite the restrictions of working from a model scheme, GADarchitecture sees a certain amount of freedom in working within this set of parameters.

Formal name of building:
Sloped House

Location:
Bodrum, Turkey

Gross square footage:
4000 sq ft

Total construction cost:
$400.000

Owner:
Ercument Ucan

Architect's firm name:
GADarchitecture
460 west 20th street #5C
new york, ny 10011 usa
phone: 917 345 0368
fax: 646 486 3106

9 desbrosses street suite 515
new york, ny 10013 usa
www.gadarchitecture.com

Gokhan Avcioglu - principle
Durmus Dilekci - design partner
Salih Kucuktuna -architect
Ufuk Alpaslan - architect

Architect of record
Gokhan Avcioglu

Associate architect(s)
Durmus Dilekci

Interior designer
GADarchitecture

Engineer(s)
Yusuf Timbir

Consultant(s)
Landscape:
GADarchitecture

Lighting:
GADarchitecture

General contractor
Ada Insaat

Renderer(s)
Salih Kucuktuna

CAD system, project management, or other software used
Otocad, Photoshop www.adobe.com

Structural system
Steel and concrete

Exterior cladding
Masonry:
Natural stone and rocks from the land