AĞAÇDERE HOUSES
Location: Istanbul, Şile
Project type: Residential
Project year: 2025
Construction area: 4.000 m²
Land area: 27.500 m²
Status: Ongoing
Project team:
Kemal Bal, Nil Bıçak, Erol Kalmaz, Büşra Yavuz
Surrounded by forests on all sides, Ağaçdere Houses have been designed as weekend residences.
Located 1 km from the nearest village and stretching along a stream, this new settlement of 27 homes offers a tranquil atmosphere away from the chaos of Istanbul.
The project emphasizes a life in touch with nature, soil, and water, reminding us that physical and spiritual well-being is possible in the fresh air of the forest. While incorporating sustainable solutions that enable the self-production of consumed resources, the design aims to present a modern and aesthetic interpretation of village life.
Transforming its host village and neighboring communities through its lifestyle and architectural language, this new settlement is founded as a way to explore efficient models of small-scale collective living. Serving as a bridge between city and countryside, and between individual and communal life, Ağaçdere Houses seek to create a social structure through shared production and communal spaces.
Inspired by Şile’s wooden building heritage and forest house culture, the timber structures promise an authentic and aesthetic lifestyle within a landscape designed with respect for nature.