Crafted Together Center: Learning and Production Inspired by Heritage
Located in the Üngüt neighborhood of Kahramanmaraş, the Crafted Together Center is a contemporary educational hub designed to preserve and transmit the city’s traditional woodcarving culture to future generations. This project is not merely a physical structure; it is a vibrant place of shared learning and collective production through craft.
The center includes three main buildings. In the workshop, participants develop hands-on skills and learn directly from master artisans. The cultural building, which houses a library and a café, offers space for both research and informal social interaction. In the gallery, traditional motifs and student-made works are exhibited, creating a dialogue between heritage and creativity. These three structures are united around a central courtyard that strengthens both physical and social connections.
Although the buildings are constructed using concrete, their open and permeable facades create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The courtyard serves not only as a circulation space but also as a place for making, exhibiting, and gathering. The project emphasizes community participation, sustainability of craftsmanship, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
A Day at the Crafted Together Center From a Student’s Perspective
I start my day walking through the courtyard. Morning light filters through the windows of the workshop, and the scent of wood shavings fills the air. Today’s class focuses on transferring traditional patterns into wood panels. Our instructor is a local master craftsman—every movement is worth observing closely.
During the break, I head to the library and browse through a few pages. At lunchtime, we gather under the shaded stone terrace in front of the café to chat. Later in the day, I stop by the gallery and see something familiar, my own carved piece is now part of the student exhibition.
This place feels like more than just a school. It’s where I connect with the past, grow through making, and feel part of a living community. Being at Crafted Together Center means growing both as an individual and as a craftsperson.
