ZEHISAR – EscapeCore 

ZEHISAR is an EscapeCore inspired by one of my strongest childhood memories. When I was young, my friends and I built a small hidden place with stones in a ruined forest on a mountain. It was not a real building, but for us it was a special world where we could play, rest, watch the stars, and spend time away from daily life. This memory became the foundation of my project.
The main purpose of ZEHISAR is to create a peaceful environment where people can reconnect with nature and themselves. The space is designed for observing natural surroundings, reading, drawing, and resting. It offers a quiet escape from the noise and pressure of everyday life. Instead of focusing on technology or urban activities, the project encourages slowing down and appreciating simple experiences.
The building consists of two main spaces. The first space is a small and intimate area for reading, relaxing, and sleeping. It provides a sense of privacy and comfort. The second space is the main observation area, where users can watch nature, study changing light conditions, and create drawings inspired by the landscape. Large openings frame selected views, while smaller windows allow soft sunlight to enter the interior.
Natural light plays an important role in the design. The light enters through carefully placed openings, creating an atmosphere similar to sunlight filtering through trees in a forest. The materials and spatial organization are simple and calm, allowing nature to become the main focus.
ZEHISAR is more than a building; it is a place of memory, creativity, and reflection. It transforms a childhood experience into an architectural space where people can observe, imagine, and feel connected to the natural world. 

ART OBA – Soğanlı Valley 

Art Oba is a creative settlement located in Soğanlı Valley, close to the dovecotes and Tahtalı Church. The site is chosen because it carries both natural and cultural values. The dovecotes provide material for dye production, while Tahtalı Church and the surrounding rock formations create a strong historical atmosphere. In this context, Art Oba becomes a place where nature, memory, craft, and art come together. 

The project consists of six individual escape-core houses and one common area. Each house belongs to an oba member and reflects a personal way of living and producing. Suna produces natural dyes from plants. Ayşenur and Ecesu collect pigeon manure from the dovecotes and transform it into dye material. Zeynep observes the valley, the plants, the rocks, and the light, then turns these observations into drawings. Melisa and Ece create paintings inspired by the colors and daily life of the oba. 

At the center of the settlement, the common area works as a shared production and exhibition space. It is divided into a workshop and an indoor exhibition area. In the workshop, members mix colors, paint, and produce visual works together. In the exhibition area, these works are displayed for visitors. In addition, an amphitheater-shaped open-air exhibition area is placed within the landscape. This outdoor space allows paintings to be exhibited with the valley as a natural background. 

Visitors first walk through the exhibition, then join the workshop to experience the creative process. A day in Art Oba begins with the soft light of Soğanlı Valley. Some members walk toward the dovecotes, some collect plants, some observe nature, and some prepare canvases. As the day continues, materials collected from the land become colors, colors become paintings, and paintings become shared stories. Art Oba is not only a settlement, but a living cycle of observing, collecting, producing, exhibiting, and sharing.