Herizon Hub / Semanur Gedik
Kahramanmaraş Circular Economy Center
This project envisions a Women-Centered Circular Economy Hub located on the site of Necip Fazıl Cultural Center in Kahramanmaraş — a city marked by both post-earthquake fragility and profound local potential. Rooted in the studio’s focus on transforming global challenges into local opportunities, the proposal seeks to empower women as active agents of economic, social, and spatial regeneration.
The concept embraces the circular economy not only as an ecological strategy but as a social system, where production, knowledge, care, and solidarity cycle back into the community. The design acts as an interface between past and future, preserving fragments of the existing structure while integrating new architectural layers to support inclusive growth.
Organized around co-production, learning, and policy-making, the project brings together women-led initiatives, local crafts, small enterprises, artists, and NGOs to foster resilient collaboration. The open corridors, multi-level gathering spaces, and transparent spatial boundaries reflect the values of accessibility, openness, and fluidity. The preserved core of the cultural center is wrapped in a transparent glass layer, symbolizing care for heritage and continuity — while new masses grow organically from this center, housing educational and productive programs.
The proposal responds to the city’s fragmented spatial fabric and gendered economic inequalities by creating a decentralized yet connected node — a living hub where women can work, learn, lead, and thrive. By doing so, the project not only aligns with SDG 9 and global innovation goals, but also redefines resilience through a feminist and regenerative lens, making Maraş a case study in inclusive, future-forward urban transformation.
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