Merve Yildiz

Re-activeren Yollarbasi

Re-activating Yollarbasi for a new generation of villagers
 

‘With the energy of tradition and architecture, I will give Yollarbasi a new future, where the legacy of the past and the vision of sustainability merge into a lively, connected community.’

My graduation project focuses on redeveloping Yollarbasi, a village in southern Turkey that is slowly emptying, with abandoned houses, workshops and barns, and a declining sense of community. My grandparents' stories about their life in Yollarbasi and the traditional crafts have always been a source of inspiration. With these memories as my guide, I aim to transform the village into an eco-village, based on local building materials and crafts.

The centrepiece of my strategy is a women's cooperation that contributes to the reconstruction of the village through weaving, agriculture and livestock farming. The architecture combines traditional building techniques with modern, sustainable solutions. By using local building materials such as natural stone, earth and wood, the cultural heritage is respected, while new initiatives such as sustainable agriculture and water management ensure a future in balance with nature.

This project not only offers new economic opportunities, but also reinforces social cohesion. Yollarbasi will once again be a lively community in where tradition and innovation go hand in hand, and where future generations can build on the foundations of the past. My graduation project, ‘Re-activating Yollarbasi’, increases public awareness of the problem of ‘empty villages’ and my design presents a strategy to bring new life to these villages.

By respecting old crafts and combining them with sustainable architecture, I draw attention to the use and reuse of local materials and the appreciation of architectural heritage.

 

Graduation date: 16 September 2024 
Graduation committee: Machiel Spaan (mentor), Maartje Lammers, Anna Maria Fink  
Additional members for the exam: Dingeman Deijs, Tobias Kumkar