Gürel Summer Residence

Çanakkale, Türkiye

This housing compound, designed by an architect for himself and his family, extends along the crest of a rocky site sloping downward to a beach. Hugging the stone boundary wall parallel to the road, yet informally arranged among the pine, olive and oak trees, are seven small, spare and simple one-storey, stuccoed and whitewashed buildings, traditionally constructed in masonry, with timber ceilings and clay tile roofs. Two of the units are for living (with kitchens), and four are for sleeping (with bathrooms). The seventh is a common service unit, adjacent to the parking space. The original vegetation has been allowed to remain and the footpaths are paved with beach pebbles. The jury found this residence to be "a work of art in which nature and humanism occupy the first place."

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture