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DEĞİRMENDERE MAE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Değirmendere/Kocaeli ︎ 2006 ︎ Construction Area: 1.350 m2 ︎ Siteı: 1.800 m2 ︎ Education ︎ İbrahim Eyüp, Mert Eyiler, Nevzat Sayın, Sibel Özdoğan







Değirmendere, one of the areas severely impacted by the earthquake, witnessed the collapse of many buildings near the sea. However, the school site lies within the older part of Değirmendere, where no buildings were affected by the earthquake. This historical context offered valuable insights for our project. We decided to preserve the small primary school building from the 1940s, despite the absence of a formal conservation decision, and integrate the new building as an ‘annex’. Respecting the architectural traces of the 1940s structure guided our design philosophy. Positioned behind the old building on a steep slope, the new construction emerges in fragments, blending into its surroundings rather than overwhelming them. This approach allowed us to maximize the limited garden space by transforming terraces into multi-level gardens. The project benefited greatly from the support of Mayor Ertuğrul Akalın of Değirmendere and the diligent implementation by Engin Aydın, who brought the challenging design details and construction methods to project. As a result, the final structure closely aligns with our initial vision.