Düzce University Campus

Düzce, Turkey

Undoubtedly,  the city of Düzce, which is alive today and forms a passive mosaic in the settlement systematic with its agricultural identity and limited capacity, will gain an active role in cultural activities with the University City Identity in line with the regional development strategies and especially in the development perspective of the university. With its targeted capacity and areas of expertise, Düzce University is expected to function as a locomotive in the city of Düzce and its surrounding hinterland in the context of exalting living economic and cultural values.

Düzce University Campus, which is seen with its living location, is more than the result of planning, expressing a physical and social integrity; It expresses a dispersed settlement pattern in which independent applications are put forward with the decisions required by the day at different time stages. Its challenging topography, spineless structure and vehicle-based transportation system have caused the education units to be disconnected from each other and the campus to be developed in pieces. While this situation reveals that the gathering/socializing area in the center of the campus cannot fulfill its function, it has led to the inability to use the campus in an efficient way and to be unable to connect with the environment.

For this reason, the concept of a campus, which is suitable for social and cultural activities, where sustainable transportation is at the forefront, where topography is turned into an advantage, where faculty units can be connected with each other, and which interacts with the environment, expresses the basic principle in the planning approach.

The reorganization of the education units in a social and physical integrity, which has been realized at different times, at different levels and in a scattered location, with its living position, necessitates the development of horizontal life spines first. From now on, the elements (structures) required for future university development strategies should be planned as elements that complement the social and physical integrity defined around the horizontal spine. From this point of view, the conditions revealed by the topography require the horizontal spines to be realized at 200 and 220 elevations on average. While these spines complete the campus setup, they also reach the entrance doors and establish the relationship of the campus with the outside world.

One of the main objectives of the project; to minimize the rate of vehicle use on campus with sustainable/eco transportation methods. By removing the carriageway on the east-west axis, functional integrity based on pedestrianization within the campus was aimed. Pedestrian spaces are maintained in order to reduce the use of individual vehicles and to increase the use of bicycles and walkability. Access by bike is part of sustainable transport. In this sense, a bicycle path network has been created within the campus. Although the general transportation system is designed in this way, the vehicle service entrance and parking requirements of each unit located and to be located on the campus are provided with special solutions.

Entrances to the campus were proposed as two entrance and exit gates, keeping the hospital entrance separate, while the Southeastern gate was arranged as the main entrance with security, a transfer point was planned with a capacity parking lot.

The forest areas in the north, which have a very important place in line with the activities and vision of Düzce University, have been designed both for the research of the university and for the recreational activities of the outside users. Certain routes have been proposed for the area, where physical intervention is avoided due to the fact that the existing trees are not damaged and preserve their naturalness, and it is aimed to associate them with campus life.

The development area in the eastern part of the university will be designed according to the horizontal life design principle. The highest point in terms of topography in the development area is both the viewing point and the recreation area. An R&D center within the faculty of medicine and the faculty of forestry, which is envisaged to be established in this region in the future, also coincides with the vision of the university.

When the current situation of the campus and the proposed structures come together, it is aimed to improve the spatial quality of the built environment and transform it into a unique settlement. The campus located on the periphery of the city should also include the social relations produced by the city. In this context, the main idea that emerged in the design of the campus; It has been to create a life backbone that will establish a direct relationship with public spaces, squares, streets, cultural centers, sports centers, parks, semi-open and semi-closed areas, education and training units where social relations are established.

Today, it is seen that the boundaries in the academic education environment have been removed. On the other hand, although there is a direct relationship between the academic and administrative structure, each discipline has an independent structure. With this backbone created, faculties and departments preserve their private and independent structures; they will be able to have various and surprising places for activities they can carry out together with other disciplines.

In this context, the cultural square to the west of the campus will be open to the public day and night. In this square, which forms the heart of the campus, there will be a cultural center, theatre, library and student clubs. The area, which is the common meeting place of the entire campus, can be used for concerts, festivals, ceremonies, exhibitions, etc. can be used for activities. The indoor and outdoor sports fields located in the south-west of the campus will integrate with the new center and form a social-cultural sports axis.

The building, which is associated with the existing student center and where the commercial units are located, strengthens the pedestrian axis currently living at 222 elevation of the campus, while providing an alternative solution to pedestrian transportation in the challenging topography. By placing the Faculty of Theology and the guesthouse in the area between the existing forest faculty and the mosque on this pedestrian axis, continuity between the campus units was ensured.

Location: Düzce, Turkey
Date: 2015
Type: Competition
Status: 1° Prize
Team: Collaboration with Labour70