Design Buy Build Issue 45 2020 | Page 13

The entrance zone of ‘Studio Loft’, once two separate flats is now a duplex unit and an open spacious area with a double-height ceiling. Entering ‘studio loft’, one steps right into the photographic studio and exhibition space. On the same floor at the back is a guest bathroom with a vaulted ceiling that solves the height restriction problem. Material choices of the bathroom with their reflective surfaces give one a sense of being inside a futuristic space, which also serves as an out-of-the-ordinary photography setting. A sculptural staircase, designed with no railing on either side to highlight the dynamism and rhythm of circulation inside the space, connects the ground floor to the upper floor. While the ground floor is designed to fulfill the needs of a photographic studio and an exhibition space, the upper floor is planned to host office space, kitchen area, sleeping and private resting zones at the far end of the open plan living space. Reflecting on the owner’s lifestyle who loves to cook for his guests, the kitchen is a social space for cooking, eating, and relaxing. Next to the kitchen is another spot with a cozy fireplace for gathering with friends and resting. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer bright panoramic views to the greenery outdoors. The upper floor has also been designed to serve as an additional space for photo shootings if wanted, as one of the targets of the project was to maximize the space for photographic work. The result has been the creation of a ‘loft’ space that serves multiple functions, intertwined with each other, under the roof of a photographic studio. This is the outcome of how the architects approached the challenge, stated by Nail Egemen Yerce, founder of Yerce Architecture as “Answers were sought to questions such as how could space initially constructed as a typical, standard apartment be transformed into a multifunctional area serving different functions and forms of living while maintaining permeability within these functions.” INTERIORS "The paving material of the ground floor was extended to cover the patio and the sidewalks, leading to the integration of the whole space." Ayça Taylan, the co-founder of ZAAS, adds that “the project also reached out to the public, that is the outside world, through the exhibition space incorporated into the photography studio.” Viewing the outside world and the inner space as a continuum, the architects transformed the open space in front of the apartment, formerly used as a car park into a patio. The paving material of the ground floor was extended to cover the patio and the sidewalks, leading to the integration of the whole space. 13