Post- Violent Recovery Focused Living Space / Şevval Kıcır

This project aims to create a healing living space for women who have experienced violence and their children. The project focuses not only on the need for a living space for women and children who have experienced violence, but also on their need for psychological, social, and spatial support. 

The project area has been analyzed in terms of accessibility and environmental relationships. The foundations of the design were formed in accordance with the relationships the area establishes with its surroundings. Access to the building is provided via a secondary route and is designed to provide easy access to the nearby school. Inside, a courtyard, a semi-open space that reinforces a sense of security, has been designed. 

The spatial organization has been planned with the needs of women and children in mind. A painting and handicraft workshop, group and individual therapy rooms, and a play area have been created for users, while a courtyard has been designed where all these activities can take place. Controlled transitions between public and private areas have been provided to ensure users feel safe. 

To define the entrance to the living units and the vertical circulation of the structure, the mass has been set back, and Corten steel has been chosen as the material to emphasize this area. The window openings in the common areas have been designed to be quite large and supported by wooden sunshades. Furthermore, while exposed concrete is used on the facades of these areas, decorative plaster has been preferred in the rest of the building. 

In conclusion, this project aims to create a safe, empowering, and healing living space for women and children who are victims of violence.