Nail Cakirhan - Turkey

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Nail akirhan Residence

Akyaka Village, Turkey
Designer:
Nail akirhan
Istanbul, Turkey
Carpenters:
Ali Dura and Cafer Karaca
Mugla, Turkey
Client:
Nail and Halet akirhan
Istanbul, Turkey
Completed:
1971
0213.TUR
Table of Contents
1983 Technical Review Summary (7 pages) Feature

from the 1983 Award Book (6 pages) 1983 Project
Summary (4 pages)
1983 Architects Record (12 pages)
1983 Clients Record (4 pages)
Nomination Form (4 pages)
Images and Drawings (17 pages)
Thumbnail Images of Scanned Slides (5 pages) List
of Visual Materials (2 pages)

1983 TECHNICAL REVIEW SUMMARY
Nail Cakirhan House 213.

Akyaka Village , Turkey TUR.
A traditional Yayla house designed by the owner in a sea-side village in Turkey.
Date of Completion : August 1971
I. Objectives
The designer wished to build a traditional and well-crafted house in his

home area , a residence which would be modest , peaceful and reminiscent of
his childhood , where he and his wife could rest.
II. Description of site
Akyaka village is located to the southwest of the Anatolian peninsula at the

very end of the Bay of Kerme ( Gokova ) . It lies in a pine forest at the
base of rugged mountains , in country which is just becoming popular as a
resort . The Gdkova region has a subtropical climate ,
with hot summer days tempered hy the rnnl sea hree^.e and m i l d winters with
cold nights . High on a cliff , the house surveys the landscape , with the
sea just 150 m. to the south .
The lot measures 2,000 sq.m. ( about 0-5 acres ) and includes tall pine
trees . A road toward the north connects it to the small cluster of houses
that make up the village some 500 meters away . Akyaka has a tradition of
timber houses , but modern concrete structures are increasingly common , as
is true throughout Turkey .
III. Design and Construction
Brief and Requirements

The needs of Nail Cakirhan and his wife Halet were rather simple , and
included areas for :
living ( themselves)
gathering ( with friends
) sleeping ( themselves )
sleeping ( friends )
These functions could overlap in the same space or change according to the
time of day . A sheltered outdoor area was to provide additional
the two side rooms , enhancing the multivalency of the house .
The lateral walls of the mabeyn contain ornamental cupboards ( fcr books ,
Nail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey

bottles and glasses ) . The deeper , back part of these cupboards , which open
into the lateral rooms , are used to store clothes and bedding during the day .
Each of the rooms has a fireplace flanked by two cupboards .
One of these is for storing clothes , while the other "cupboard" door gives
access to the bathroom . A traditional serpenc or shelf passing continuously over
the doors and windows ties the rooms together . Cupboards and shelves display a
high level of craftsmanship , as do the traditional windows and richly ornamented
wooden ceilings .
The loggia is supported on wooden columns with decorated capitals and contains
the traditional raised seat or ayazlik at the west end , where the breeze is
strongest .
The garden is reached by a traditional semi-circular flight of steps of local

pink stone .
Structure , Materials and Technology
1. Structure and Materials

Both houses have a traditonal timber frame which resists earthquakes through its
elasticity . The foundations and platform are framed by rubble stone walls with
cement mortar ; the raised platform is filled with earth .
The roof has no truss , but simply posts and beams . Wooden planks form its
slopes , which are covered with the round , red "alaturka" tiles of the region .
The walls are filled with brick and rendered with lime-plaster and whitewash .
The floor is wood , over a 5 cm. airspace , except in the shower rooms , the
kitchenette and the toilet . The ceilings and built-in furniture are also wooden
.
2. Structural technology
All major elements were fabricated on-site and the woodwork was crafted by hand .
There were 4 workmen , 2 masons and 2 carpenters supervised by the designer
himself .
3. Building Services and Site Utilities
Initially a well as was dug for water , and a septic tank for sewage . The house
was connected to the Akyaka electricity lines in 1977 , and to the water system
in 1981 .
Origin of Materials and Labour Force
The technology was traditional , all materials were locally produced and the
labour force was 100 per cent Turkish .
The first step for Nail Cakirhan was in effect to seek out building craftsmen ,
especially carpenters of the old school . But only two elderly

living space during the warm season . Separate bathrooms for themselves and
guests , a small kitchen and lavatories completed the programme.
As the Cakirhans were freqnelty away , a smaller , simpler caretaker's lodge also
seemed necessary .
The built area measures :
house 147 sq.m.
caretaker's lodge 48 sq.m.
Total built area 195 sq.m.

(including eaves)
Evolution of Design Concepts
1. Siting
The house was built on the lower slope of the land , beneath old pine trees ,
facing south towards the cool sea breeze . The caretaker's lodge flanks the
entrance on the upper part of the site . A garage and a store-room were later
added nearby.
A path 2 m. wide and some 50 m. long leads from the entrance to the house . Large
local flagstones were set directly into the ground without cement , so that herbs
can grow between them . The existing forest was preserved , and only local trees
and plants were added . The garden is enclosed on three sides by a traditional
masonry wall about 1.50 m. high , which tapers towards the top : the southern end
is open to overlook the sea .
2. Architectural Aspects
As described by the author , "programme , project and design were elaborated in

the course of time seeing , feeling , sensing" . Thoughts and forms were not
formally drawn on paper ( a few sketches were sufficient) but more or less
directly laid out on the ground , as traditional master builders used to work .
A divanhane , an open loggia supported on columns , shields the southern fagade .

From the divanhane one can enter the two lateral odas or rooms flanking a mabeyn
. The mabeyn draws one into a large polygonal central hall or divanhane , with
which it forms a whole . This hall continues the tradition of the central eyvan
in Ottoman houses . The central living/gathering space is thus flanked by
identical living/sleeping rooms , arranged in a subtly articulated row . The
lateral rooms give onto bathrooms where clothes are also stored . A kitchenette
and a lavatory also adjoin the lateral rooms , at either end of the loggia , from
which they can also be entered .
The caretaker's lodge contains two lateral rooms separated by a toilet and a
shower room . It also has a loggia towards the south , which can be entered from
the sides .
3. Decoration
No moveable furniture is used in the house , with the exception of low couches
with cushions placed below the windows in the central hall and

carpenters could be found in Ula . The younger generation did not know the craft
IV. Construction Schedule and Costs
and mainly supplies wooden formwork for concrete construction .
History of Project
The programme and the design were roughed out , without formal drawings , between
September 1969 and September 1970 . Construction started on September 10 , 1970
and preceded in three phases :
1. The foundations , framework , walls and roofs were

completed in 45 days .
2. Woodwork and built-in furniture were completed in 24 days

during June 1971 .
3. Furnishings ( matresses , couches , cushions , etc. )

required an additional 15 days .
Occupancy began on August 22 , 1971 .
The garden wall , garage , storage house , path and ladscaping ware all completed
in a month during 1972 .
Total Cost
The total cost of construction was 97,960 T.L. , equivalent to $ 7,535 in 1983 .
V. Technical Assessment
Funds were completely private .
Design Features
The houses blend well into the natural environment , and in any case , the main
house is hardly visible behind the garden walls . Unfortunately , the
surroundings are changing drastically with the gradual construction of many
concrete houses .
Functional Assessment
The multi-purpose use of space is a major quality of the houses . The only
moveable furniture consists of tray-stands , book-stands and traditional braziers
. Beds are only set out at night , leaving the space free for daytime use . In
summer time , straw mats and kilims ( flat woven carpets ) are spread out in the
loggia and strewn with colorful cushions . The arrangement of the house perfectly
suits the inhabitants' way of life .
Environmental Performance
The house is thermally insulated by the large air space left beneath the tiled
gables of the roof . Hot air is vented through the wooden ceilings . When the sun
is high , the deep loggia and generous eaves provide a band of deep shadow over
the windows and around the house . In the summer , the house remains cool and
comfortably ventilated , yet without drafts . When the fireplaces are lit in the
winter , their glowing coals are

placed in the brazier in the central hall , and the doors to the lateral
rooms are opened to heat the entire house . Heavy blankets provide adequate
warmth for sleeping .
Ageing and Maintenance Problems
No deterioration is yet to be observed . Naturally the weatherproof rendering

on the facades will have to be periodically renewed . External woodwork was
not coated with "pinoteks" so as to keep its natural colour .
Analysis of Costs
The land was valued at 43,000 T.L. in Summer 1969 . The total cost was
97,960 T.L. ( US$7,535 in 1971 ) , comprising of :
the main house 78,760 T.L.
the caretaker's lodge 19,200 T.L.
Total 97,960 T.L.
The total includes two main components :
materials 63,250 T.L.

labour 34,710 T.L.
Total 97,960 T.L.
Built-in furniture is included in the total , as are furnishings ( wooden

divans , matresses , cushions , blankets , kitchen oven , garden chairs ,
etc. ) , which alone amounted to 15,000 T.L.
The garden wall and the two entrance gates cost 14,040 T.L. and should be
included in the price of the infrastructure .
The total , 170,000 T.L. ( US$13,077 in 1971 ) was about 13 per cent more than
the initial estimate of 150,000 T.L. ( The annual rate of inflation during the
1970's was 30 per cent . ) No professional fees were involved , for Cakirhan
served as his own designer and master-builder The unit cost for construction
was US$38T64 per sq.m. Official statistics for the same year , 1971 , give an
average cost os US$30.98 per sq.m, for housing , which rises to US$64.69 when
the construction is concrete .
The designers conclude that :
Although timber construction requires high quality , expensive

wood , it is still economical in that it utilizes scrap wood as
well , especially when a number of structures are built
simultaneously .
A timber house can be built more rapidly than a concrete one of

the same size .
VI. Aesthetic Assessment
The house does not reveal itself easily , even once one is inside the
garden walls , as it turns its back to visitors and is somewhat masked by
trees . Indeed it remains in close harmony with nature . "When
Nail Cakirhan House. Akvaku Village. Turkey

inside you feel the way you do in a loggia , in the midst of a flower
garden , in the midst of nature" , says its owner . One feels
simultaneously inside and outside .
Even with the ornamentation , everything is "modest , sober , genuine" .

Details are judiciously designed . For instance , doors cut diagonally
across the corners of the rooms in the old Farisi way . This arrangement
allows the doors to disappear into the spaces reserved for them against
the cupboards , when they are open . When all the doors are open , all the
rooms , including the loggia , merge into a single visual and physical
space . Each room is both a part of the house and an entity by itself .
Nail Cakirhan House, Akyaka Village, Turkey

VIII. Persons Involved
Main Actors
The persons listed below were chiefly involved in the realization of

Nail Cakirhan's house in Akyaka .
The client was Nail Cakirhan himself .

The master builder was also Nail Cakirhan , who fused the roles of
architect and contractor , as he not only designed the house , but
also directed and supervised its construction .
The craftsmen were mainly Ali Duru and Cafer Karaca , master
carpenters from Ula .
Proposed Apportionment of Credit
Nail Cakirhan 80%
Ali Duru 10%
Cafer Karaca 10%
Technical Reviewer : Samir ABDULAC

May 1983
Nail Cakirhan House, Akyaka Village, Turkey

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NAIL
CAKIRHAN 157
HOUSE
Akyaka, Turkey, completed 1971. Clients: Nail and Halet

Qakirhan. Architect/contractor: Nail Qakirhan. Carpenters: Ali
Duru, Cafer Karaca.
Master Jury's Citation: For the purity and elegance in design and
decoration resulting from (he direct continuation and reflection
of traditional values. The design of the house goes well beyond
the simple reproduction of past models; its ornaments are
judicious, sober, and genuine. Its extraordinary harmony with
nature, as well as its multipurpose use and the ambience of its
inner space, gives it great distinction.
This airy and attractive house deserves special attention for
its sensitive revival of craftsmanship and cultural sensitivity as a
whole.
It was as a retirement home for himself and his wife, Halet, that
Nail Qakirhan designed and supervised the building of this
traditional Islamic Ottoman house in his home province of
Mugla. What is particularly interesting about this project is that
Qakirhan, a poet and journalist by profession, was never formally
schooled as an architect but became interested in construction in
his forties while accompanying his wife, an archaeologist, on her
tield trips, and he was over sixty when he began work as an
architect.
Since completing his house he has designed and supervised
the building of thirty other houses (eighteen in Akyaka itself),
renovated several older ones, and completed a hotel. While the
first of these projects were weekend houses for nonresidents,
some of the later ones were designed for the villagers themselves.
Qakirhans work is further assessed and put in context in the
essay on contemporary Turkish architecture (pages 64-75).
Location. The village of Akyaka lies to the southwest of the

Anatolian peninsula and is surrounded by a pine-forested,
mountainous region that is becoming increasingly popular as a
resort center. The site of the house, occupying .2 hectares, is on a
cliff overlooking the sea some 150 meters to the south. A road to
the north of the house connects it with the cluster of small houses
that make up the village, 500 meters away.
Pages 154-157: Nail Qakirhans finely crafted timber house, built

for himself and his wife, takes its inspiration from traditional
Islamic Ottoman houses and includes a central hall, an outdoor
haney (loggia) and two living/sleeping rooms.
158 N A I L gAKIRHAN HOUSE and a hayat; and two-story houses, 50 to 100 years old, with a lower
floor devoted to storage and an upper floor similar to the previous
Although Akyaka has a long tradition of highly crafted timber
type. In some cases the haney was turned into a polygonal divanhane,
houses, concrete structures are becoming increasingly common.
which can either be open and supporred on columns or closed with an
The climate consists of hot summer days tempered by a cool
abundance of windows. In either form the haney faces south or
sea breeze, and mild winters with cold nights.
southwest.
Nail Qakirhans single-story house includes both divanhane and
Brief. Corresponding to the rather simple needs of Nail and
haney in the same plan, with the mabeyn reduced to a rather open
Halet Qakirhan, the house was to be quite straightforward. It
area between them. Unlike traditional Turkish homes the kitchenettes
was to include two separate areas, one for the (âkirhans and
and lavoratories are not located outside the main building but retain a
the other for their guests. Although referred to as living/sleep-
marginal place in the plan.
ing rooms, these areas are multipurpose as in traditional Turk-
The design of this house goes beyond the simple reproduction of
ish homes. Between them was to be a divanhane (central hall)
past models and was built in three phases. The foundation,
in which the Câkirhans and their guests could gather.
framework walls, and roof were completed in forty- five days, the
A sheltered outdoor haney (loggia) was to provide addi-
woodwork and finishes in twenty-four and the built-in furnishings in
tional living space during the warm season, with separate
fifteen days.
shower rooms for the couple and their guests, and a kitchenette
The southern facade of the house is shielded by an open loggia
and a lavatory completing the program. A caretakers lodge,
supported on columns. From here one has access to two lateral
situated next to the entrance, was considered necessary since living/sleeping rooms flanking a porch which draws one into a large
the Qakirhans were away quite frequently. A garage and polygonal divanhane, corresponding to the tradition of the central
storeroom were added later. eyvan (hall) in Ottoman houses. The two identical living/sleeping
rooms flanking the porch also flank the divanhane. They are adjoined
Plan. Following the tradition of master builders the plan was by shower rooms (where clothes are also kept), a kitchenette on one
more or less directly laid out on the ground, with only a few side and a lavatory on the other, which can also be entered from each
sketches considered sufficient. Qakirhans house does not be- end of the loggia. The caretakers lodge, two multipurpose lateral
long to Akyakas simple architectural tradition but in fact gets
rooms separated by a lavatory and shower room, also has a loggia
its inspiration from his native town of Ula, about 30 kilometers
toward the south, which can be entered from the sides.
away, where a variety of traditional houses can still be found on The house is thermally insulated by the large air space left
lots usually no smaller than 1,000 square meters. These fall into beneath the tiled gables of the roof, with hot air vented through the
three broad categories: the 150- to 200-year-old houses, which wooden ceilings. In summer the house remains cool and comfortably
contain a single multipurpose room and a hayat (courtyard); ventilated, yet without drafts and with the deep loggia and generous
100- to 150-year-old houses, comprising two rooms flanking a eaves providing a band of deep shadow over the windows and around
mabeyn (porch) used for storage, as well as a haney the house. In winter the fireplaces arc lit and their burning coals
placed in the bra-
I: The house, which is one of eighteen at Akyaka designed by

Qakirhan, has a caretaker's lodge at the bottom of the garden. 2, 3:
The plan shows the symmetrical distribution of the three main rooms.
The sheltered loggia, which provides additional living space during
the warm season, has access to the central hall, the living/sleeping
rooms, kitchenette, and lavatory.
159
zier of the central hall which, when the doors of the adjoining rooms Structure. A traditional timber frame, which provides the house with
are left open, heats the entire house. Heavy blankets provide adequate the elasticity necessary to resist earthquakes, has been set on a rubble
warmth at night. stone base. The roof, covered with the round red alaturka tiles of the
The details of the house have been judiciously designed. For region, has no truss but simply posts and beams with wooden planks
instance, doors are set diagonally across the corners of the rooms in forming its gables. The walls are made of brick and rendered with
the old farisi way. This arrangement allows the doors to fold back lime plaster and whitewash. With the exception of the shower rooms,
into the spaces reserved for them against the cupboards when they are kitchenettes, and lavatories all the floors are covered with wood over
open. When all the doors are open, the various rooms, including the a 5-centimeter air space. The ceilings and built-in furniture are also
loggia, merge into a single space. made of wood. All major elements were manufactured on site, and
With the exception of tray stands, book stands, traditional the woodwork was crafted by hand.
braziers and low couches with cushions placed below the windows of
the central hall and side rooms, no movable furniture has been used Conclusion. For Nail Qakirhan the concrete structures one sees
in the house. There is a fireplace in each living/sleeping room flanked increasingly all over Turkey are like a frightening cancerous
by two cupboards, where bedding is stored during the day. A growth. He strongly favors a new spirit in architecture, which is in
traditional serpenc (shelf), on which books can be kept as in the harmony with the climate, environment, and cultural background of
living/sleeping rooms, or decorations displayed as in the divanhane, Turkey, and he is a critic of the slavish imitation of Western
passes continuously over the doors and windows of every room. Both architecture unadapted to the needs of his country.
the cupboards and shelves display a high level of craftsmanship, as His houses have attracted the attention of the authorities
do the traditional windows and richly ornamented wooden ceilings. responsible for planning and development both regionally and
The loggia is supported on wooden columns with decorated nationally. The governor of Mugla, who is also opposed to the
capitals and contains the traditional ayazeh (raised seat) at its west construction of inappropriate concrete structures, wants future
end, where the breeze is strongest. A traditional semicircular flight of building projects in his province to be designed in the spirit of
steps in local pink stone leads from the loggia to the garden. Qakirhans Akyaka houses.
160 N A I L QAKIRHAN HOUSE Timber houses also require fewer man-hours to build than
concrete structures of the same size, which means saving both on
Timber-frame bouses are less likely to be damaged by
money and time. Nail Qakirhan's house was completed within
earthquakes than other types of construction because of the
seventy days. The foundations, walls, roof, and chimneys of a timber
movement the wood allows. Nail Qakirhans houses are there-
house can be completed in the same amount of time needed for
fore particularly suited to the province of Mugla, which lies
laying the foundation of a concrete building.
within Turkeys earthquake belt. During the last major earth-
The demand for traditional timber houses has also revived many
quake in the province, the old timber houses, including those in
crafts, especially woodworking, with many young apprentices
a whole village where most of the houses were constructed in
beginning training in this field. Carpenters, whose work had been
timber, were hardly damaged. Even the windowpanes remained
limited to making the frame and formwork for concrete buildings,
intact. However, buildings made of other materials, particularly
have begun to work with traditional joinery once again.
concrete, were completely destroyed. While concrete houses
The simplicity and elegance of Qakirhans architecture results
have become a status symbol for the rural population, it is
not from imitation but from the direct continuation and reflection of
hoped that the practicality, visual appeal, and comfort of
traditional values. He has succeeded in reviving a vernacular
Qakirhan's traditional timber houses will in the future
architecture not merely at the superficial level of appearances, but by
encourage the construction of buildings more in harmony with
convincingly reintroducing the compact multivalent spatial
the environment.
organization of old Turkish houses. At the same time he has
Building in timber is also much cheaper than concrete,
demonstrated successfully that the form and construction of his
contrary to certain prevailing misconceptions. Although more
houses continue to make economic ser.se.
timber is required for a timber house than for the timber forms
to make a corresponding concrete house, the timber used for
the concrete forms is later discarded. Concrete structures also 4: A high-level shelf for decorative objects or books forms a strong
require the addition of reinforcing steel, which is becoming architectural feature of the rooms. The shelves, built-in cupboards,
very expensive in Turkey. The better quality of wood required windows, and ceilings are all made of wood and display a high level
for timber construction still works out cheaper especially when of craftsmanship. Doors are set diagonally across the comers of the
several houses are being built. With a large amount of timber rooms and fold back into recesses reserved for them so that all the
of second- or even third-rate quality, a sufficient quantity of rooms merge into a single space. 5: The sense of space is greatly
good-quality timber can be found in the core of the wood and enhanced by the absence of conventioml movable furniture.
set aside for the finer parts of the building, while the lesser
quality is used for supporting posts and lintels and for con-
structing the roof.
161
1983 PROJECT SUMMARY
NAIL CAKIRHAN HOUSE 213.
Akyaka Village , Turkey TUR.
A traditional weekend house designed by the owner in a resort village in Turkey .
Date of Completion : August 1971
Introduction
Nail Cakirhan , a poet and journalist , was not formally schooled as an architect ,
but became interested in construction in his 40's as he accompanied his wife , an
archaeologist , on her field missions . Since the completion of a modest retirement
house for himself and his wife in 1971 , he has realised over 30 projects in this
mountainous region of Turkey . He was over 60 years of age when he began his work as
an architect .
Working with him as colleagues were elder craftsmen skilled in traditional
techniques . After this first house , Mr. Cakirhan was asked by a close friend to
design a second , and soon many requests were received for similar weekend houses
from non-resident clients . Before long , however , local villagers took an
interest , and later realisations include many year-round , permanent residences
for the local population .
This demand for traditional housing has rehabilitated many crafts , woodworking in
particular , and many young apprentices have begun and continue their training . Three
of Mr. Cakirhan's projects have been presented in this volume ; the " M.I. House " and
the " I.G. Residence " , chronologically the second and third in his oeuvre , are
presented in pictorial form . Additional information on these houses is maintained
I. Objectives
For the years following his retirement , the designer sought for himself
and his wife a traditional and well-crafted residence , peaceful and
comfortable , in his homeland and reminiscent of his childhood .
II. Description and History
Akyaka village lies on the south-western coast of the Anatolian peninsula .

The pine-forested mountain regions are resort areas ; Akyaka is a typical
village with a long tradition of highly crafted timber houses . However ,
here as in all Turkey , modern concrete structures may be increasingly seen
.
The site stands high atop a cliff overlooking the sea . Pine stands border

the south of the 2000 sq.m, parcel , and principal vehicular access lies to
the north . A caretaker's lodge consisting of two multi-purpose rooms and
services lies next to the entrance , off the main raod . The principal
house lies on the lower half of the site .
A central living ( gathering ) space is flanked on either side by living-
sleeping units , both with fireplaces and showers . Deep cupboards store
bedding materials during daytime hours ; little furniture has been provided
other than fixed seats in the central area . A small kitchen is located on
one end of the horizontal plan , and a lavatory on the other . The open
porch runs the full length of the fagade.
III. Design and Construction
The traditional timber frame structure rests on stone foundations . Brick

infill walls are plastered and white-washed . Local , round red tiles
surface the roof . The wooden ceilings are ornamented in local style , and
the wooden floors , cupboards , and shelves display a high level of
craftsmanship .
IV. Construction Schedule and Costs
The house was built in three phases . No formal drawings were made : the design
was laid out " on-site " in September 1970 , and the foundations framework ,
walls and roof were completed in 45 days . Woodworking and finishing were
completed in a 24 day period in June 1971 , and an additional 15 days were
taken for the furnishings . Landscaping was undertaken in 1972 .
The total actual cost was TL 170*000 ( US$ 17,800 at the time ) , approximately
11% more than initial estimates . About half the total was expended on
materials , and 1/4 each for labour and for the land .
V. Project Significance
The designer and his team have built over 30 other houses , renovated several
older ones , and have completed a motel . While the first of these projects
were weekend houses for non-residents , some of the later ones were designed
for and have been enthusiastically received by the villagers themselves .
An important aspect of this project is the motivation that has been given to
local crafsmen , especially among the younger generation . Carpenters whose
work had been limited to frame and formwork for concrete have begun again to
work with traditional joinery .
Mr. Cakirhan's houses have attracted , as well , the attention of the

authorities responsible for planning and development .

PROJECT BASIC FACT SHEET
1. 1.1 C o u n t ry : Tu r k e y ________________
1.2 P r oj e c t : Na i l C ak i r h a n H o u s e
1.3 A r ch i t e c t : N a il C a k ir h a n
1.4 D a te s o f i ) d e s ig n : 1 9 69 - 1 97 0
i i ) c o n s tr u c t i o n : 1 9 70 - 1 97 1
2 . 2 . 1 P ro j e c t De s c r ip t i o n A trad iti ona l and wel l c raf ted
w o od e n h ou s e .
2.2 P r oj e c t Ob j e c t i ve s : T o p r o v i de a m o de s t , p e a c ef u l
r e si d e n c e t o t h e o w n er , w hi c h w o ul d b e
r e mi n i s c en t o f hi s c hi l d h o od a n d wh e r e
h e w o u l d r e t i r e w i t h h i s w if e .
3.3 B u il d i n g M a t e r i al s & T e c h n iq u e s ( i d e n ti f y i n g w h e t h er s e lf h e l p o r
not )
i) F o un d a t i on s : ru b b l e s t on e w a 1 1 w i th c e m en t
m o rt a r # s
2.3 D e sc riiip)t ioWna llof
s Site : ti m b e r f r w i th b r ic k i n fi l l
a n d s u r r ou n d i n g s The sita emi e s l o c at e d be s i d e A k y a k a
i i i) R o of i n g : lovill
c a lage un dthtei lever
: r oat s " al ena t u rofk athe
" Bay
iv) O t he r s p ec i a l of K erm a ( Gtt ko vay) . It d lie in a
f e at u r e s ( i f a n y)pine fo res t a t the base s of rugg ed
moun tai ns .
0,
3. 3.1 S i te A r e a : 2 , 00 0 sq.m . ( 2 ha. )
3.2 B u il d i n g A r e a : 195 s q .m .
3.4 B e ne f i c i ar i e s : N u m b er o f pe r s o n s 2 ________________
T y pe o f pe r s o n s ( s o ci o / e c on . l e v el , et c . )
m e di u m i nc o m e l ev e l

4
.
Costs
B u dg e t s$ 1 1 ,5 3 8 ( 1 =$ ( 1 983)
9 7 0)
A c tu a l ( to t a l ) * $ 1 3 ,0 7 7 ( 1 97 1 ) _ $ ( 1 983)
B r ea k d o w n o f
A c tu a l C os t s
L a nd $ 3 , 30 5 ( 1 97 0 ) -5 ( 1 983)
I n fr a
s t ru c t u r e .5 1 ,080 ( 1 97 1 ) $ ( 1 98 3 )
B u il d i n g 9$ 7 , 53 5 ( 1 97 1 ) = $ ( 1 98 3 )

T o ta l .$ 1 1 ,920 ( 1 97 1 ) $ ( 1 983)
U n it C o s ts
(i) Unit Cost ( 19 ) ( 19 8 3 )
o f B u i l d in g $ 3 8 .6 4 / s q . m. $ / s q. m .
C o mp a r e s w i t h p r es e n t ra n g e i n c o u nt r y of :
H i gh : $ / s q. m . (1 983)
Med : $ 64 .69 / s q. m . ( 1 97 1 )
Low : $ 30 .98 / s q. m . ( 1 97 1 )
i
( i i) A c t ua l t o t al c o st o f Ho u s i n g U n i t n U S $ 1 9 8 3 ( N i a m e y)
( Ac t u a l C o s t : Nu m b e r o f U n i ts )
( 1
L a nd : $ 9 8 3)
I n fr a s t r uc t u r e : $ ( 1 98 3 )
( 1
B u il d i n g : $ 9 8 3)
T o ta l : $ ( 1 983)
5. C ou n t r y E c o n o m i c da t a
5.1 P e r c a p i ta i n c o me : $ 1 , 47 0 ( 1 98 0 ) (p.a.)
5.2 A v er a g e Ho u s e h o ld
i n co m e : $ ( 1 9 8 3 ) (p.a.)
$ ( 1 9 8 3 ) ( p . m o .)
5.3 P o ve r t y th r e s h o ld : $ ( 1 9 8 3 ) h o u s e ho l d / mo .
* * * E x c h an g e r a te US$ 1 = 1 3 .0 0 T . L. ( 1 9 7 1)
U S $ 1 = 2 0 0 . 0 0 T . L . ( 1 9 83 )
E s ti m a t e d a n n u a l i n f la t i o n r a t e : = 30 %

-5.JUL.19o2

32. chcmin dcs Crets. 1218 Grand-Saconnex. Geneva. Switzerland, Telephone (22) 98 90 70
1983 ARCHITECTS' RECORD CONFIDENTIAL

1 . IDENTIFICATION 213 TUR
A. Projcl Title Nail Qakirhan House
B. Postal Address Nail Qakirhan c/o Akyaka PTT ubesi
Mugla / Turkey
II. PERSONS RESPONSIBLE
(Please give name and address for each. If more Ilian one. please stale precise roles and relationships.)
A. /Owner Nail Qakirhan

c/o Akyaka PTT Qubesi , Mugla / Turkey
alternatively Birinci-cad.212
Arnavutkoy - Istanbul / Turkey Tel.
Istanbul 63 56 41
B. Architcct/Planner Nail Qakirhan

( see above II A )
C. Consultants (c.g. Economist. Sociologist. Demographer. Engineer) None
D. Contractor None - all building activities v/ere directed and

supervised by Nail Qakirhan personally .
E. Master Craftsman Ali Duru , master carpenter , Ula , Mugla / Turkey

II
Cafer Karaca , " " h II
it
later also Bird Tepeli " "
II II
and team of local craftsmen from

II II II

III. USE
A. Typc(s) of Use Residence , rest-house
B. Uscr/Occupant Nail Qakirhan
1. Occupation Poet , ex-journalist , presently construction

2. Income Level Medium
C. Specify any change(s) between planned and actual use.
None
IV. PROJECT HISTORY
A. Programme Development
1. Date of Commencement September 1969
2. Date of Completion
September 1970
B- DesiS" Design planned mentally ,no formal design on paper

1. Date of Commencement September 1969
2. Date of Completion Se fct e mber 1970____________

C. Construction
1. Date of Commencement September 10 , 1970
2. Date of Completion August 8 , 1971

August 22, 1971
D. Date of Project Occupancy
v. PROJECT ECONOMICS Costs include caretaker's lodge, garden wall, gates

(For Costs, please give amounts and currencies. Specify their datc(s) of validity) 1 U#S# S : ca. 9-50 Tl
during period of construction
A. Total Initial Budget 150-000 Tl. - ca. $ 15 800 -----
B. Total Actual Costs 170 000 Tl. " ft 17 800
C. Analysis of Costs
1. Land 43 500 Tl " fc 4 500
2. Materials 82 000 Tl " 4 8 600
3. Labour 45 000 Tl . 6 4 700
4. Professional Fees none
D. Sourcc(s) of Funds (indicate percentage)

1. Private 100 %
2. Public
a. Local none
b. National none
c. International none

VI. CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
A. Site Area and Characteristics Location

southwest corner of Anatolian peninsula, in
Gokova,Akyaka village ,at very end of Bay of Kerma (Gokova); Sits at
bottom of rugged mountain , some 700 m high, in midst of forest country ,
on bluff , overlooking sea some 150 m away. Stunning landscape , quiet
bays , fir trees (pinus brutia),carpet- U T . I C I , , 1 . n nlike
asphodels,anemones , all colors
B. Total Floor Area of Individual Buildmg(s) c
p
Nail Qakirhan House 108 n% (excluding eaves)
Caretaker's lodge 56 nr " "
T o t a l 144 m2
C. Structural System (describe)
Foundation : rubble stone wall , cement mortar
Superstructure : timber frame , brick infill Roof
: tiles of local type
I). Materials (describe and indicate whether locally produced or imported) all local
1. Infill brick
2. Rendering of Facades lime-plaster and whitewash . wooden roof-supports

wooden doors and shutters (in traditional style)
3. Floors wooden (except kitchenette, showers , toilet)
4. Ceilings wooden , largely worked in traditional style and

ornamented
5. Others (interior and exterior)
interior : wooden cupboards , shelves , couches
E. Site Utilities and Building Services (describe) No

substructures at arrival , except public road . A
well was dug for providing water , septic wells
(fosses septiques) for disposal , Improvement of road in 1974 ,
electricity , post-office with telephone and telegraph facilities since
1977 , drinking water pipe-line since 1981 .Now (1982)
F. < 40 frm Gk0Va )
i. Describe the Basic Method of Construction Traditional timber-frame construction

with masonry foundation and traditional wood-work by hand , largely
ornamented .
2. Indicate which major building parts were fabricated on-site and which were fabricated elsewhere.
All major building parts were fabricated on site .
G. Type of Labour
_65J* .
Force (indicate
-35 % __
percentage) I-
Skilled 2.
100 %
Unskilled
none
11. Origin of Labour
Force (indicate percentage) I. Domestic

2. Imported

VII. EVOLUTION OF DESIGN CONCEPTS (1)
Please describe the genesis of the project, through programme, design and construction to final and present occupancy.
I was born in a seventy-five year old wooden house in Ula province of

Mugla ,Turkey . Host of my childhood was spent in grandfather's nearly 260
years old single-room house , adjacent to it ; wooden doors , shelves ,
cupboards , shutters , all ornamented $ ornamented ceilings tinted in red ,
green , bluish-green , a kind of
p
water-color , mat , translucent . A large garden , some 1500 m .All kinds of
fruit . A walk-way leading to the house through wooden supports covered with
vine ; honey-scented grapes . High garden walls, snow-white liraewash ,
often renewed . A haney , a kind of red tile covered , column supported open
loggia , with straw mats , flat-woven carpets (kilims ) and colorful
cushions all over , in the midst of a flower garden - a multitude of rose
bushes
Outside , cool , narrow streets paved v/ith milk-white limestones, small

shaded plazas with century-old plane-trees , the market with its rows of
v/ooden shops , both right and left , their typical shutters , wooden
benches , braziers for charcoal fire and v/hite-bearded, serene old men on
the benches . Spacious , comfortable tea-houses where during Ramazan ,the
month of fasting , shadow plays were put on behind white screens Small
mosques v/ith their tiny graveyards , rose- garden like , adorned with snow-
white tomb-stones of all shapes and sizes and some with silver-threaded
veils of brides , brought here in the prime of their youth . The minarets
with the soft , touchingly mellow voices of the muezzins . The azan , the
sala , unforgettable .
The years in middle school in Mugla , 1921-25 , the khans ,with their
spacious central courtyards , modest , like small caravanserais, the houses
, the chimneys .
Four years of school ( lycee ) in Kohya . Konya , still unaltered v/ith

its monumental architecture in stone and timber and the soul of Kevlana
Celaleddin-i-Rumi still alive e
The Istanbul of the thirties . Large and small timber houses , kiosks
,spacious residences (konaks) with their red-tile roofs , within vineyards
and gardens , all still standing . Aged trees : monuments of green . The
Bosphorus with its water-side houses and mansions (yalis) on its shores .
The Asiatic shore : a yali v/e lived in ; windows down to the floor , as
though life proceeded in a boat on the water . The European shore : our
present house ; 150 yeans old and a quarter of a century of our life herein
.
The Second World War,the unconcern and recklessness building up iiy
VII.Evolution of Design Concepts (2)

the fourties
The madness of the fifties The squandering of priceless masterpieces
of Turkish architecture , centuries of age , grown out of the great islamic
cultural heritage , some 1300 years old More than a hundred works of the
Great Sinan torn down to the ground . An unbelievable massacre of historical
values A new profession : contractors of the "build-and-sell" type , whose
only motivation is profiteering . No pride in craftsmanship , no allowance
for quality
What is left behind ? Who cares i Narrow or wide , naked streets ; black ,
hard , wild , disgraceful cement or asphalt , schorching hot in the summer ;
on either side concrete blocks , three , five , ten storeys high , as high
and as wide as possible Not a glimpse of the sea , nor of the sky , not a
breath of fresh aitt . In the streets , on the side-walks filthiness ,
misery , smell of burnt gasoline and oil , screeching , racing motor
vehicles
The Bosphorus , its flashing , luminous waters , its bays , its coasts :
a sea of slimy rubbish and Diesel oil .The open air resorts , heartbreaking
: the birds , the nightingales , the reed flutes (ney) in the tea-houses are
silent ; instead , a babbling , screechy , degenerate hassle Voices ,
records , tapes of doubtful character - tedious , shameful , A queer ,
terrible city : one can no more swim in its waters , walk inits streets
, enôy its open airresorts
What can one do in this town but take to flight ?
1969 - the flight The escape towards the unfergotten , the un-
forgettable places , roads , houses , monumental plane-trees But alas .
The tragedy begins at the entrance of Mugla i row after row , storey after
storey of cement blocks Interspersed between them , old, forsaken timber
houses , roof tiles and windowB broken , helpless , exhausted and destitute
, frightened and crushed in the presence of these concrete monsters . The
khans and bathhouses that made Mugla what it was , levelled to the ground .
In their places apartment houses again and again , the roads and squares all
schorching cement or asphalt The old town still throningabove all this -
for hotf long ?
Ula - still in good shape , but gone is the market , gone are the
squares in the midst of the town , the stone-paved , cool streets , the
rustling plane-trees , the rose-garden cemeteries They are all gone . Gone
are the harmonious , musical voices of the muezzins , the sala Everywhere
in the center tar , asphalt , trucks racing all over , a schorching sun in
the squares , hoarse , growling loudspeakers on the
minarets . The azan by loudspeaker from stereotype tapes and the sala -


VII.Evolution of the Design Concepts (3)
unbearable All tending toward a degeneration of our. own cultural and

traditional values
Finally : Gokova , at the very end of the Bay of Kerme , the forested
area around Akyaka village , with the sea to the south , steep , rugged
Kiran Mountains behind .A house there - a real refuge .
Neither in this house (213 TUR ) nor in those that were to follow it ,
there has been no project , no design in the habitual sense of these
words,only a few rough work-sketches (fig.21-25 ) . Programme ,
project , design built up in the course of time -seeing , feeling ,
saving .They are all to be found within the old buildings , the old
days , in the mind and in the heart There has been no architect , no
engineer , no foreman .Thoughts and forms were not put formally on
paper but directly onto the ground - like with the old traditional
building masters .
The first step was to seek out building craftsmen , especially

carpenters of the old tradition . But all in all , only two aged carpenters
of this denomination had been left behind in Ula . The newer generation did
not know the job and was now mainly engaged in making wooden forms for
constructions in concrete .
The two aged carpenters , Ali usta (Ali Duru by name ) - the chief one -
and Cafer usta (Cafer Karaca by name ) were both around 60 years of age aU
the time (now around 70 ) . Ali usta was the only one ,who was still trying
hard to keep up the old tradition of building ,at least not to forget it .
Like many others , Cafer usta had been compelled , for a living , to go into
the manufacture of wooden forms for concrete buildings Both were in a bad
way when I found them Ali usta had had infantile paralysis , but we
managed to work together , without interruption for 8 whole years . He is
now crippled , cannot walk , moves in a wheel-chair , but when needed ,
still tries to work sitting and makes wooden carvings and ornaments by hand
Cafer usta has also aged - his eyesight is no more what it used to be
But a new generation of young carpenters has been formed gradually in the
course of our 12-years' long work together , a ne^team of carpenters , who
have taken to the work , able to carry it out in the old traditional way and
conscious of the fact that a living can be made by it .
Summer 1969 . When Ali and Cafer usta first heard of my intention of
building such a house in the old tradition , they were stunned and looked at
me in a strange way ,sceptically , unbelieving , but also with pity , as it
were , as though I was a madman . Only after much explanation did they begin
to comprehend and at the very end seemed even relieved and a little happy .
They went about pulling together their hand-tools , forgotten and discarded
, rusty and dusty , for a hatchet-hammer and a saw are all that are needed
A fail Cakirhan House. Akvaka Village. Turkey

for wooden forms for pouring concrete Once cleaned , these partly self-
made hand-tools appeared with their beautiful patina , acquired through a
life-time of work .
Work begun by revisiting old streets , old houses , beginning with those
of Ali and Cafer usta : rooms , windows , shutters ,doors , cupboards ,
dimensions , forms - all as desired . Especially Safer usta's house :
ornamented wooden ceilings with central design , tinted like that of
grandfather's . Then , one by one the villages , towns ,the city .
Everything that was still standing , even though falling apart . The doors
of the cupboards that are now in the central room of 215 TUR was found in a
cow stable during one of these trips . The pinewood frame was worm-eaten ,
but onoe the crust and whitewash were cleaned off , the parts in ornamented
walnut-wood turned out to be still in good shape ( fig. 8 ) .1969 thus
came to a close .
It is in the small town of Ula , that all the varieties of these

traditional houses , from the oldest to the ydungest , can still be found ,
standing each within a piece of land usually not smaller than some 1000 m^
and surrounded by rather high , white-washed stone walls that give them
privacy .
1. The oldest , some 150-200 years old , generally consist of a single

multipurpose room (3*5-4- m by 4.5-5 m in size ) on a single floor with
large eaves , set against the garden wall . No windows on this back side .
Along the front side , the walkway (hayat) with the wooden supports covered
with vine . The entrance doors and windows are on this side . Inside , a
fire-place on one side , ornamented wooden shelves , wall-cupboards , a
continuous shelf ( serpeng ) running all around and over the windows and
doors , an ornamented and tinted ceiling . Large and deep cupboards for
bedding and extra matresses and cushions in the upper half ; a storing place
for wood etc. in the lower half . Next to it a wall-cupboard (closet) with
washing facilities inside Slighter cupboards set into the wall for
clothing . Toilets are outside and sometimes a separate kitchen is added on
the outside too . Besides a fire-place , shelves , cupboards and the serpeng
, it has deep, ornamented wooden granaries , but is much simpler than the
main room 2. Later ones , some 100-150 years old . All have two rooms
flanking a sort of closed eyvan ( called here mabeyn ) used mainly for
storage . These houses are also set against the garden wall and have large
eaves .
A porch (divanhane ) , generally 2 m , rarely 2.5 m in width runs along the
front facade . It is supported by fine ornamented columns and arches. The

eaves are usually 0.70-0.80 m , rarely 1 m , maximally 1.20 m in width . As

the porch protects the front faca38^rSSSs from rain and sun , so do the
eaves protect the whole house as well as the porch from rain and sun .
Depending on the location of the garden entrance gate ,the walkway (hayat)
runs all along the divanhane or is placed on one of the lateral sides of the
house
5. Still later * two-floored houses , some 50 -100 years of age . The lower
floor is used for storage , in some cases for storage , cooking and
preparing food-stuffs . It has slits for letting in the ligh , but no
windows . The plan of the upper floor is the same as that of -he preceding
house-type : two rooms with a smaller one (mabeyn) between them, which may
be used for cooking The access to this floor may either be from outside or
through the mabeyn . In some cases the porch (divanhane) has been turned
into a polygonal space (also called divanhane) , which may be either open
and supported by columns and arches , or , closed, with an abundance of
windows
But whatever their age and shape , the main concept of these houses does
not change - all are oriented towards the same goals :
a. An intimate ,harmonious togetherness , a unison , as it were , with
nature , the effort of identification tfith it , not splitting apart .
To be inside and outside simultaneously , embracing nature , but enjoying
great privacy at the same time . The lightness , comfort and happiness
these houses inspire seem to stem from this symbiosis .
b. In spite of all the intricate - even sophisticated- wood-work ,the
painstaking care , the ornaments , the tinting , everything is modest ,
sober , genuine . No false pretentions , no gaudiness . All forms and
ornaments matured and filtered through centuries , as though passed
through an alembic .
c. These houses seem to be alive , to breathe , as though they had a heart
or lungs . The walls , the fire-places , the ceilings ,all
seem to breathe - never a lack of air , never a feeling of oppression.
d. Each space in these houses is both a piece of the house and also an
entity for itself . The rooms are not limited in their use , all
functions that are needed can be performed in each of them , they are of
multipurpose character : one lives , sits , eats , cooks , sleeps ,
washes and receives guests in them ; beds are made up at night and
cleared away in the morning .
e. With their slight walls letting in beams of light , their ceilings ,
their cupboards and shelves , their doors and windows , their dimensions

, their sense of proportions and with everything else that pertains to

them , there is nothing in these houses to oppose oi(contra- dict you ,
you never tire of living in them and there is nothing to make you want to
break loose , to break out On the contrary , they fill you with great
ease ,pleasure and happiness , as they should - for basically every
effort in life is directed toward happiness , or at least it should be so

Spring 1970 - the carpenters started by restoring our family house in

Ula , which was partly in rather bad shape
Fall 1970 - work on the house in Gokova , Akyaka village . With 2 masons
, the 2 carpenters and 4 workmen foundations , timber walls , brick infill ,
roof and chimneys were completed within 45 days .
June 1971 - another period of 24 days of work i floors , ceilings ,

doors , windows , cupboards , shelves , wooden couches were completed . My
suggestion of taking down an old ornamented ceiling from one of the
Ula houses , that was being torn down , and mounting it into ours , was met
with the disapproval of Ail and Cafer usta : "It would be too much
unnecessary , difficult work , they would make the ceiling themselves They
did ; Ali usta,working on the ground , prepared the ornaments , Cafer usta
fixed onto place . Within a week the ceiling was completed . Birol Tepeli ,
a young ,careful carpenter , had joined the team - he was to take the lead
in the years thereafter
Finally another 15 days for the furnishings : matresses , cushions , but

no other furniture
The garden wall , garage , depot , walkway and lay-out of the

garden - all in 1972 , another month approximately

VII. Evolution of the Design Concepts (7)
The house is situated in Gokova , within the limits of the village of

Akyaka , some 500 ra away from the cluster of village houses ,in a forested
area (fig.1,20 ) . It sits on a scarp , some 20 m above sea- level , between
the village and the sea (fig.20) . It is placed in the lower half of a plot
of land , some 2000 m^ in size , under aged pine- trees , facing toward the
south , that brings the prevailing cool breeze from the sea (fig.1,2,16 ).
This house is the result of direct inspiration from the traditional Ula
houses . It is a composition , where the type with the longitudinal porch
(divanhane)and the one with the polygonal divanhane - see above (5) no.5
- are merged .
The longitudinal porch (fig.9-10) runs along the southern faacade of
the house . It has wide eaves , supported by ornamented columns and arches
The traditional heightened seat (ayazlik) is placed at its western end ,
where the breeze is strongest A carved fence With a double-wir.ged door of
the same character closes it in . The access to the garden is by the
traditional flight of semicircular steps of local pink stone (fig.2 ) .
The mabeyn and the two lateral rooms are accessible from the porch .
The former continues directly into the polygonal central hall , with which it
forms a whole and which is set off from it only by the ornamented ceiling ,
whiwh thus forms a complete polygon (fig.3-5 ) Six win- dowo with a
continuous row of low couches , only slightly above the level of the garden
follow this polygon . The lateral walls of the mabeyn are in the form of
ornamented cupboards of traditional style (fig.3-8 , 11-12 ) .
The two lateral rooms open up to the porch (fig. 2 ,9-10 ) , as
well as to the polygonal hall (fig. 5-7 ,12-13) by doors that are cut
diagonally across the corners in the old traditional way ( fariai ) ,
thus forming part of the polygon inside and also creating a central area
oh the porch , which is larger than its width .This arrangement also
allows the door-wings of the lateral rooms to fit into the spaces
reserved at both ends of the cupboards ( fig. 13)
When all doors are opened , the whole house including the porch merge
into one single visual and physical unit of space (fig. 5 )
The two lateral rooms (fig.13-14) are identical and in the traditional
multi-purpose spirit Each has a fireplace ,flanked by two cupboard doors
One of these gives acce|geto a sbower place -enlarged and modernised for our
needs - , while the/is used to store away clothing,
A large , deep cupboard opposite the fire-place is used for bedding and extra
matresses and cushions .The shelf (serpeng) over doors and v/indows is
continuous in all the rooms and spaces in the house .Ho furniture is
introduced , only tray-stands , book-stands , braziers of traditional style .

When the fire-places are lit in the winter , their glowing coals placed
into the brazier in the central hall and the doors to the lateral rooms
opened , the whole house gets evenly heated
A kitchenette and a toilet have been added on the far end of the lateral
rooms , at either end of the porch , fcom where they are accessible (fig.2 ,
17 ) .
Wide eaves , chimneys of characteristic local style (fig.1-2 ) , round

tiles of local provenience make up the quality of the roof
Wooden shutters on all windows close in the house in times of prolonged
absence
At the time the house was built , there were no others in this^rea ,
which is at a distance of some 500 m from the village Therefore , a
caretaker's lodge (fig. 19 ) was added at the far side of the garden (fig. 16
) , next to the road . It is set against the garden wall , has wide eaves and
typical chimneys in local style . It consists of two lateral rooms , a medial
space made into toilet and shower-room , and a porch acessible laterally by
two flights of steps and supported by ornamented wooden columns and arches .
A large main wooden entrance gate with a semicircular tile-covered
superstructure give access to the road on this side The gate has double
wings and a smaller inner wing on one side , for the daily use of people ,
according to traditional style . A large 2 m wide and some 50 m long walkway
(fig. 15) connects this entrance gate with the main house . This walkway is
made by setting large flag-stones of local provenience into the natural
forest ground , without any cement or other reenforcement , so that the local
herbs can come up between the flag-stones A lateral single-winged gate,with
a smaller inner wing equally,leads out to a side-street on the eastern side
of the garden .
A garage and store-room has been added at the far end , near the
caretaker's lodge
The local forest-earth and vegetation has been preserved and only trees
and plants of local provenience have been planted The garden is enclosed on
three sides by a masonry wall some 1.50 m high , of traditional form
(tapering top) , leaving open the southern end above the^car]

VIII. SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT (1)
In what way is this project important?

Please describe the aspect(s) of the project which you feel represent a particular achievement, for example, the technical.
economic, or social achievement, or its response to culture or climate, etc.
Response to Culture
V/e have a glorious past : a unique cultural heritage , a synthesis of

Islamic ,Seldjuk and Ottoman traditions filtered out , as it were, from
within the depths of history . We are as though enthroned upon a unique ,
rich environment of unparalleled architectural values : monumental
caravansarais , khans , bath-houses ; renowned unique mosques , small
sanctuaries ; water-side mansions (yali*s) , lacelike adorning our shores $
fine kiosks and large residences (konak's) timber-structured houses , large
and small , poetic and drean-like as nightingale nests What else could one
ask for ? This honey-comb could cater for every single different taste :
millions of flavors are there , to be ours . Wether poet , painter ,writer ,
v/hatever one may be , as an artists , as intellectuals and above all as
architects they are there , ready , waiting for us . But no - v/e turn our
backs to it all , we do not even deign to look back Blocks of concrete ,
lanes of asphalt are all we think of . trresponsability and speculation lurk
in the background At the slightest opposition one is frowned upon as a
"reactionary " , as being " out of step v/ith our
age .A so-called "westernisation" , which in most cases is not much
more than a would-be imitation of the West in its easiest ,
cheapest, falsest and most vulgar form - v/hich does not even exist in this
form in the West - ,and now spreads all over , from our cities to our towns
and in form of cement brick construction even to our villages , like a
frightening cancerous growth . /
(Please continue overleaf imeceSSfryT /*
IX. DOCUMENTATION
Please indicate the materials you enclose for project documentation:
15 ttt Photographs; Color, & White; S" x 10 (IS x inalbum (with

and Black 24 em)._
list )
_il---- 34) ffttf Black35 mm.
Slides;Color, bOX (list appended )
5 Drawings: Community plan. Sjtc plan. Floor plans. Sections, fiteratrons. in album(with
list,
cf.VII
Project
Brief/Progr Other (Please specify: work-sketches in album (with list) -)
amme \
also 4 of these on large sheets 40x50 cm
^ pps Biographical Data
Please note: The submission of this Record is a prerequisite to candidacy for the Award. All information contained and submitted with the Form will be kept strictly confidential until the announcement of the 1983
Award recipients. Subsequently, such information may he nadc available by the Aga Khan Award Foundation for scholarly purposes only. Nevertheless, persons wishing to publish, reproduce or reprint such information
shall be required to secure prior permission in each instance.
A fail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey

Authorized Signature Date 30.6.1982
Telephone 1st Telex

214.
I 6 AVAIL BP'? TUR.
32, chcmin dcs Grets, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland, Telephone (22) 98 90 70
1983 CLIENTS' RECORD CONFIDENTIAL

I. IDENTIFICATION
11
A. Projet Title " M.I. House (with which I wish to replace the titlfc
"Inkaya House " )
B. Postal Address Minu Inkaya , c/o Akyaka PTT Qubesi , Mugla , Turkey
II. PERSONS RESPONSIBLE

(Please give name and address for each. If more than one. please state precise roles and relationships.)
A. ciient/owner DT. Minu Inkaya

Tel.44 99 95
Samanyolu sok. 97 ,ili,Istanbul,Turkey
In case of unavailability , please contact :
Oner and Beril Eyiiboglu
Dag apt.,18 - Ulus mah. ,Etiler,Istanbul
Tel. 63 4-7 00
B. Architect/Planner Nail Qakirhan
Akyaka PTT Qubesi ,Mugla ,Turkey
alternatively :Birinci-cad.12 , Arnavutkoy , Istanbul
Tel. 63 56 9-1
C. tXDGQteWX (e g- Economist. Sociologist. Demographer. Engineer) D.c^wwtpwr Constructor : Nail Qakirhan (for
adress , see above)
E. Master Craftsman
Team of local craftsmen

III. USE
A. Type(s) of Use Residence : rest-house
B. Uscr/Occupant
1. Occupation Medical doctor

2. Income Level Medium
C. Specify any change(s) between planned and actual use.
None
IV. PROJECT HISTORY
A. Programme Development
1. Date of Commencement October 1974-
2. Date of Completion December 1974-
B. Design
1. Date of Commencement . February 1975

2. Date of Completion May 1975
C. Construction
1. Date of Commencement June 1975

2. Date of Completion Rnri nr 1Q9S (end of Novenber 197!
D. Date of Project Occupancy End of 1975
V. PROJECT ECONOMICS
(For COsts. please give amounts and currencies. Specify their datc(s) of validity) 1 U.S. Dollar C8. 14 ? 11*
A. Total Initial Budget 250 000.- T1
B. Total Actual Costs 225 000.-Tl
C. Analysis of Costs
1. Land 90 000.- Tl.

2. Materials 80 000*- Tl.
3. Labour 55 000.- Tl.
4. Professional Fees None

D. Source(s) of Funds (indicate percentage)
1. Private 100 %
2. Public
a. Local
b. National
c. International

VI. PROJECT EVOLUTION
Describe the genesis of the project, through programme, design and construction to final and present occupancy.
Through my long-standing friendship with Nail Qakirhan ,1 have been
visiting him in his house , located near flhe southenn shores of the Aegean
Sea , on the outskirts of Akyaka village (Mugla province) off and on for
several years , as often and for as many days as my time permitted My stays
in this house , built of local materials in the traditional style of the
region (but with all modern comfort) in fore ted country and in the midst of
a flower-garden , have each time filled me with great happiness and allowed
relaxation fnom the stress of professional and city life, so much so , that
the desire to have ,myself a house of this quality has built up within me .
During our conversations it appeared , that the realisation of such a project
would be w - thin the limits of my financial possibilities , and, following
the agreement of Nail Qakirhan to realise it for me , a suitable plot of land
(some 400 md ), at a distance ofi only some 50 m from his own house , could
be foumd and purchased at a feasible price in February 1975
My wish was for a small , compact house , a single living s)a with
two separate sleeping quarters , as well as cooking and washing facilities
Nail Qakirhan had been planning a single-space study for his own wife in
their own garden , which appealed to me so much , tha he developed it for my
needs : a large living amd working space with two separate sleeping-alcoves ,
a ter^ce in the front , a kitchen and bathroom in the back .
The limited funds for the building being available , construction
was begun in May 1975 by Nail Qakirhan , not long after the completio l of
the design , with local craftsmen from his home-town Ula (province Mugla ) .1
was present during the first weeks during which the foundations, the stone
base wall , the wooden framework and the roof were completed. Naiih Qakirhan
was directing and supervising the works without intermission and after having
completed the house in November 1975 , built the garden-wall and installed
allaccessories , such as built-in cupboards , side-boards , wooden couches ,
etc. , and had also provided for matresses , cushions , covers and the like ,
so that I could move
in directly at the end of 1975 , providing only sheets , blankets amd
kitchen utensils .
Very close friends of mine , Beril and Uner Eyiiboglu (see
above II A ) have gone through a similar experience : for them also
Nail Qakirhan has built a house on a plot of land adjacent to mine
VII. PROJECT MAINTENANCE
Specify ihe provisions that were initially made and are now enforced for the present and future maintenance of the bjilding.
Indicate any significant change(s) that have occurred since the project was completed.
The protective coating put on the wooden parts of the exteriojr
during construction was renewed in 1998 and has to be renewed now again ; the
habitual periodical control of roof tiles was carried out as needed . No
changes whatsoever have been made since the project was completed . The
garden , which would need regular care , has been left in its natural , wild
state , with only a very few trees having plant* '
been ;e
p. d

In what way is this project important?
Describe the aspect(s) of the project you feel represent a particular achievement, for example, the technical, economic, or social achievement, or its response to culture
or climate, etc.
Please state the level to which you are satisfied with the project.
This house is a symbol of Love It is the expression of friendship

in need of expressing itself Tt is beauty ,comfort, privacy , self-
expression , self-reliance told in terms of wood and brick
A one-room octagonal house proudly sits in complete harmony wit: its

surroundings It could easily be one of the houses of the village ; yet
it offers all the comfort to the city-bred To find relief in space and
local colouring without losing identity can only be achieved by an
artist
Degree of satisfaction : to the utmost
(Please continue overleaf if necessary)
IX. DOCUMENTATION
(Please indicate that which you enclose with the Clients Record)
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture requests from each architect the visual and technical information concerning their work. However, to complete the portfolio for each
project, you may wish to enclose additional materials, such as drawings, textual descriptions, photographs, etc.
------ Biographical Data
Project Brief/Programme - Other
(Please specify: The architact/planner/constructor : portraj.tj
Form is a prerequisite to candidacy for the Award. All information contained in and submitted with the Form il the announceme nt of the Award recipients.
Subsequently, such information may be made available by the holarly purposes only. Nevertheless, persons wishing to publish, reproduce or reprint such
Please note: The submission of this will be kept
strietly confidential un Aga Khan Awards
information shall be n each instance.
Foundationfpr-*- required to secure prior

perjnfssion
Authorized Signature.
4d 1 r " .................................................................. .... 10 th April 1982

VIII. SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT
p 213
- [\
TUR. -i-

32, chcmin des Crets, 1218 Grand- Saconncx, Geneve, Suisse, Telephone (22)98
90 70, Telex 28842 AKA A CH
983 NOMINATION FORM

CONFIDENTIA
L
r. AWARD CRITERIA
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture seeks to recognize projects which demonstrate
architectural excellence at all levels. Since architecture cannot be isolated from the
society in which it is created, the Award will consider the context in w hich architecture
is practiced and the processes of design, research and evaluation through which it is
achieved. The social, economic, technical, physical and environmental challenges to
which the projects respond must be important factors in any assessment of their success.
Projects will be chosen as much for their catalytic value in the evolution of a new
cultural and environmental sensibility, as for their individual design merits.
Consideration will be given particularly tc those projects which use local initiatives and
resources creatively, which meet both the functional and cultural needs of their users
and have the potential to stimulate related developments elsewhere in the Muslim
world.
Projects completed or in use between 1956 and 1980 will be eligible for the 1983
Award. Because positive user response and beneficial environmental impact are
essential Award criteria, only projects completed or in use for at least two years will be
considered. All projects arc eligible except those associated with His Highness the Aga
Khan or other members of the Award.
II. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

1. Title MAIL QAKIHHAK HOUSE
Postal Address AKEAKA KUYU-MAMHAMlS-1'iU CiLAr^/lllitKhY
Tele
x
2. Date of Telephone _
Completion
3. Architcct(s)
Postal Address MAlL-QAKIhiiAN ________________________
AKYAKA -KOÛ -MAKMAMlS-I-IUGLJi-
TelephoneTelex
T0be Invited
Telephone -f-rom-AKXAKA ------ Telex
post office.
4. Clicnt(s) NAlL CAKIMHAN _______
Pos'al Address 3-MUGLA-
TURKEY
L
III. PROJECT DESCKIPI ION
Please give a brief description of the project.

Mr. Kail Oakirhan's own house, the first one of the eighteen houses build
by him in Akyaka, Mugla, is situated in a small garden richly planted with
flowers.
It is a one story house with two rooms, a central hall, kitchen end
bathroom. Although the centrality of tho main room which is a continuation
of the central eyvan of the historical Ottoman house, tho three spaces are
situated one beside the other in an orna-nentalis tic low.
Taey ero protected against tho sun by a ilayat, relating them to the
garden.
The structural elements are masonary walls with small windows, richly
decorated wooden ceilings, the Ilayat portico with wooden columns all
protected by a wooden roof covered with alaturka tiles. No'mobilier1 is
used in the house. Only cushions are used along the side of the window
rows, as v/ell a3 in the central hall and the bedroom.
The multipurpose use of the spaces are tneix? main quality. Beds are
arranged t i night, giving a large opportunity of daily use of the spaces.
IV. NOMINATOR'S STATEMENT

Please specify your reasons for nominating this project.
The reasons for nomination are the same for oil three houses. Thus my
statement is given continously on the three forms.
Tnese tnree houses are the most representative among Air. Kail
Vtkirhsn's Akyaka house group. Ur. Vukirlion, a poet, first worked
in the implementation of my project for the Karatepe Open Air
museum, in 1 in Adana, hater he was the supervisor on my behalf in
The Turkish historical Society building implementation, in Ankara.
The fist house he designed and implemented in AKyake, was his own.
The purity and the modest beauty of the architecture is the direct
continuation and reflection of the Islamic-Ottoman behavioral
values, A real deep sense of exlstance is completed
cost.
V. SUBMISSION OF NOMINATIONS
Nomination is the first of several steps prior to project selection of the Aga Khan Award
for Architecture. Subsequent contact with architects and clients demands a great deal of
time, as does compila'.ion of portofolios for each project. Therefore, we would
appreciate receiving nominations as early as passible to ensure project presentation for
the 1983 Award.
A 'ail Cakirhan House, Akyaka Village, Turkey

IV. NOMINA! OKS Sf A I l.MLNT
Plcsisc K j x c i f ) your reasons (or n o m nating this project.
by the ornimentalistic use of Gtructural elementc, the Dense and setrch of

the man-made beauty in architecture*
He designed and constructed eighteen houses in ilk yah a , three of them

being under construction now and one in ttanaari3 and a small i*-otel in
liatcja, a national park in the vicinity of Akyaka.
Like the others these nouseaare an important attempt to reevaluate

traditional building technics, traditional architectural and ornanen tal
elements and local materials and a reconstruction of compact multipurpose
use of spaces of the Ottoman houses*
Atbough they are designed for medium class families, they also can b used
as a newly developed specimen for tho low income group housing.
In addition to their architectural values, the low cost of tho buildings
attracted the medium income intellectuals first, then the wealthy people as
Hr. durcan and finally the poor citizens of Akyaka, fer e;.* the nuhtar of
Akyaka.
The use of local materials, the low cost of the construction, the education
of a new generation of craftsmen, actualisation of nrchitec tural problems
and creation of a new visual sensibility among the citizens of Akyaka and a
group of '.Turkish intellectuals are tho most important contributions of
these houses.

For information :
Yayla :
According to a very old Turkish tradition ( doubtlessly rooted in the

"transhumance" , characteristic of the nomadic way of life ) , people
, without discrimination of their economic situation , move winter
quarters to summer quarters ( = yayla ) . These latter may be houses ,
huts , tents , depending on the economic situation of the family .
People thus move from the plains to the mountains (with cool air ,
cold water and grass for the animals ) , or alternatively from the
towns to the country-side with fields , vineyards , orchards , for the
preparation of winter provisions . Thus Miyla's yayla is some 2-3 km.
from the town, in an extensive area of fields , orchards and vineyards
.
In the near past seaside locations, that were earlier malaria-infested , like
all the present summer resorts of Miyla ( namely Bodrum , Marmaris , Gokova ,
Datca , Koyceziz and Fethiye ) , but which have since been sanitized (
"assainis^s" ) , have also become yayla places .
In this sense , Nail Cakirhan residence is a yayla house much rather than a
"secondary residence" or "week-end" house , both of which concepts have their
roots in the western tradition and both of which presuppose a certain
economical status of their owners , which is incompatible with the yayla
concept .

Contexte view of Nail Cakirhan House as seen from the northeast
Cakirhan House: south elevation
Renovated house in Mugla (not by Cakirhan)

Cakirhan House: gathering hall
Cakirhan House: sleeping/li ving room

Cakirhan House:
porch view from east
Cakirhan House: sleeping/living room

Cakirhan Jouse: central gathering hall with wood crafted ceiling
Cakirhan Jouse: detail of carved panel door

Nail and llalel Cakirhan in front of a traditi onal gate in Ula
B n v Hlf AaB
Halet and Nail Cakirhan with guest in their home

I.G House: south facade from the street
Nail Car kihans grandfathers home in Ula

I.G. House: dining room corner in the kitchen
Traditional house in Ula

I.G.
House:
south
Nail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey facade
Cafer Karaca (traditional) house in Ula; interior

f
II |
s*!|f
-5
OTOW
3lVt> HlYM
0 TO
M
1 _ L_1 ..I
M.I. House: Ground Fl oor plan
FLOOR PLAN * SECTION sheet 2-2

i m
SECTION sheet 3-4

IKIUEZOS^fDBATrO EOn-{IEfl

Nail Cakirhan Residence
Akyaka, Turkey
Acc No: S032847

VM Title:
Date: 15.04.1983
Photographer: ABDULAC Samir
Copyright: Y
Technical Infos:
Notes:
Location: C1
VM Link: 0213 Nail Cakirhan Residence
Acc No: S032848

VM Title:
Date: 15.04.1983
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0213 Nail Cakirhan Residence
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Location: C1
Nail Cakirhan Residence, Akyaka,

Turkey
Akyaka, Turkey
Acc No: S032855

VM Title:
Date: 15.04.1983
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Turkey
Akyaka, Turkey
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Turkey
Akyaka, Turkey
Acc No: S032868

VM Title:
Date: 15.04.1983
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VM Title:
Date: 15.11.1982
Photographer: GUNAY Reha Y
Copyright:
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Turkey
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Turkey
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No VM Num CD Id IMG Ord VM Title Date Photographer Format Copyright
1 S032847 CD00061 IMG0090 15.04.1983 ABDULAC Samir 24x36 Y

4 S032850 15.04.1983 ABDULAC Samir 24x36 Y
S032854 15.04.1983 ABDULAC Samir 24x36 Y
8
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26

Turkey
Akyaka, Turkey
List of Visual Materials
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The Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Nail akirhan Residence

1983 Technical Review Summary (7 pages) Feature

1983 Architects Record (12 pages)

1983 Clients Record (4 pages)

Nomination Form (4 pages)

Images and Drawings (17 pages)

Thumbnail Images of Scanned Slides (5 pages) List

of Visual Materials (2 pages)

Nail Cakirhan House 213.

A traditional Yayla house designed by the owner in a sea-side village in Turkey.

Date of Completion : August 1971

The designer wished to build a traditional and well-crafted house in his

II. Description of site

Akyaka village is located to the southwest of the Anatolian peninsula at the

III. Design and Construction

Brief and Requirements

Nail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey

The garden is reached by a traditional semi-circular flight of steps of local

Structure , Materials and Technology

1. Structure and Materials

3. Building Services and Site Utilities

Origin of Materials and Labour Force

Nail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey

The built area measures :

house 147 sq.m.

caretaker's lodge 48 sq.m.

Total built area 195 sq.m.

Evolution of Design Concepts

As described by the author , "programme , project and design were elaborated in

A divanhane , an open loggia supported on columns , shields the southern fagade .

Nail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey

1. The foundations , framework , walls and roofs were

2. Woodwork and built-in furniture were completed in 24 days

3. Furnishings ( matresses , couches , cushions , etc. )

Occupancy began on August 22 , 1971 .

Nail Cakirhan House. Akyaka Village. Turkey

Ageing and Maintenance Problems

No deterioration is yet to be observed . Naturally the weatherproof rendering

the main house 78,760 T.L.

the caretaker's lodge 19,200 T.L.

Total 97,960 T.L.

The total includes two main components :

materials 63,250 T.L.

Built-in furniture is included in the total , as are furnishings ( wooden

The designers conclude that :

Although timber construction requires high quality , expensive

A timber house can be built more rapidly than a concrete one of

VI. Aesthetic Assessment

Nail Cakirhan House. Akvaku Village. Turkey

Even with the ornamentation , everything is "modest , sober , genuine" .

Nail Cakirhan House, Akyaka Village, Turkey

The persons listed below were chiefly involved in the realization of

The client was Nail Cakirhan himself .

Proposed Apportionment of Credit

Nail Cakirhan 80%

Ali Duru 10%

Cafer Karaca 10%

Technical Reviewer : Samir ABDULAC

Nail Cakirhan House, Akyaka Village, Turkey

Akyaka, Turkey, completed 1971. Clients: Nail and Halet

Location. The village of Akyaka lies to the southwest of the

Pages 154-157: Nail Qakirhans finely crafted timber house, built