The design process of Seciloğlu House in Bodrum began in August 2017. While the initial design featured a single building on a 5000 sqm land, a guest house was later integrated into the design. Both buildings were strategically positioned to overlook the view. Seciloglu couple preferred the open plan type, which the architect Mehtap Kocaman designed with pleasure. They had agreed upon the floor plans soon after the couple had articulated their desire to avoid spatial separation and determined that they could meet all their needs in a single space.
The main building was designed as a two-storey, stone-cladded structure that sits on a slope. Integrated with a front patio, the lower floor is comprised of the open kitchen and living areas, while the upper floor, which is the entry level, fulfills sleeping, living, and bathing functions under an exposed roof with wooden structural elements.
Due to the desired open plan type and exposed roof, one of the biggest challenges of the project has been to design the separations between the bedding, dressing, and bathing areas on the upper level. Another important issue was the design of the open staircase and railing. The upper and lower floors of the house are connected via an open staircase. The fireplace serving both floors acts as a binding structure for the railings of this staircase. The railings that were designed by the architect also serve as shelves for the couple’s ceramic objects and other accessories.
The gallery space left between the lower floor and the upper floor allows the exposed roof to be visible from the main living area of the house. The living areas on each floor are for summer and winter use, respectively. The main door is custom designed and consists of a door-wing and an operable sidelight with a perforated panel. The opening of the sidelight on the upper level during the summer months allows cross-ventilation. This way, the gallery space located between the two floors contributes to natural air conditioning by providing airflow inside the house. Within the main building, which is approximately 225 sqm, there are no room divisions except the pantry/storage and bathroom area sits below ground. In this project, the interior is designed to respond to the exposed roof system and has become an integral part of the architecture of the house.
The guest house is 45 sqm and has been designed as a single-storey masonry structure. It includes a bathroom, kitchenette, bed and seating areas, as well as a large patio. As in the main building, an exposed roof system was used here. All electrical lines are encapsulated within exposed bronze pipes. The same pipes are sometimes used as suspension elements. The guest house also has an exterior door design similar to the main building. The most important difference is the handle.
The landscaping project was handled minimally, taking the natural slope of the land into consideration. Native plants were used. Environmental lighting was primarily achieved by floor lighting.