R&L House project involves the transformation and redesign of an existing summer villa built in the early 2000s in Silivri, Istanbul. While the original spatial layout and massing of the structure were largely preserved, the weak connection between the ground floor and the surrounding landscape was entirely reimagined, resulting in a new façade language that ensures continuity and cohesion with the landscape.
In the original design, the relationship between the main living areas and the most significant landscape element—the pool—was virtually nonexistent, hindered by level differences that obstructed integration. This relationship was re-established through the introduction of a series of terraced platforms around the structure. These platforms, especially prominent on the building’s western façade, bridge the gap between the architecture and its landscape. On the southern edge, the terraces are defined by a single-storey volume that houses simple outdoor functions and supports the pool area, shaping a dialogue between green and hard landscape elements.
The former façade design, which failed to provide sun control, was replaced. A steel-framed architectural boundary now envelops the structure, defining its character. On the west, this boundary becomes a sun-shading canopy that creates open and semi-open spaces. On the south, it emphasizes the entrance by standing alone. It becomes a balcony on the east and forms a winter garden on the north. Below this framework, the immediate surroundings of the building are clad in red travertine, creating a strong tactile connection with the ground. Above, a wooden louvered mass sits atop the redesigned ground floor, harmonizing with the surrounding hardscape. Vertical slatted shutters ensure controlled daylight and maintain the continuity of the timber cladding across the façade, creating a unified and sculptural aesthetic atop the red travertine base.
The previously unorganized sloping garden was reimagined as a richly programmed landscape, featuring rest areas usable at different times of the day, pathways, and a vegetable garden. The terrain levels were carefully redesigned to accommodate and enhance these new functions.
