Eco-niche

The first thing when we think about planet earth is “being”. When looking from space, we can not seperate them as if they are all connected. Apart from letting the being things be, we realize that they have their own instincts, desires that keeps them be beeings.

Heidigger called all of the beings as dark, which is the deep desire in humans is to be with earth. If we look more further on this dark box, we see the land the soil that keep beings grounded. If every being is grounded, then, just like we see them connected looking from space, all beings are connected with roots. This connections and collectivenes all together composes nature, which grows on and on.

Human beings, as biological organisms, have been “created” by nature; and as creative subjects, we also, at the same time, are actively shaping and transforming the earth we inhabit. As we progressively shape and transform the earth, pure nature free from human influence is said to no longer exist. In the age of the anthropocene, we are witnessing the disappearance of nature apart from human beings. Human extinction, will eventually come.

Apart from humanity that is fated to go extinct, earth can and will survive just fine without humanity. Nature is defined as that which stands in contrast to humanity. Its like a coin with two sides which lines us up as either for nature or for the human. As they reveal themselves to be deeply interconnected ideas, the root of nature and humanity knits the string of fate.

What seems to be needed to avoid this seperation between nature and humans that knits the string to fate of destruction, is an inclusive conception of nature, one that inhabits both the human and the nonhuman components. Its the concept of recovering an intimate sense of interdependence and connectedness with the lived environment. Only if we remember our connections, only if we reinhabit the earth, then we can start to heed and take care of earth.

Inhabiting both human and nonhuman components in a life system that is going to benefit eachother can be described as second nature, which means emergence of new habitat for human and nonhuman components that is shaped by human influence, not dominance. Every being on earth already inevitably takes up space and inhabits the earth. The overall biomass of ants on Earth is more than that of people, although their actions produce no "pollution". So, the problem is not the amount of human consumption and limiting industrial production wouldn’t solve it. The redesign of industrial production as a way of humans reinhabiting the earth to cerate second nature, is the solution.

As we know, only a systemic change can support this spreading of solution:

The first step of systemic change happens if humans accept that they need to do something, to dwell in earth much longer. They need to realise what they have lost, and what they will be going to lose. Mindfulness of their connection with earth allows people to become more aware of their fate of destruction. As they inhabit this realisation of thoughts, then they will start to feel responsible for earth.

The second step begins after this coresponsibility of humans becomes collabrative awareness, which seeks overall needs of the community, create more holistic approaches, and create synergistic benefits with nature. As everything inhabit earth together, every being needs to collaborate. Nature already have been existed within its own harmony, so it does not need this collaboration but humans depend on this collaboration to prevent its own extinction.

The final step and result is to coexist with earth, which happens as we remember our desire, to be with earth, with all of its contradistinctions. After all, its the conatus that knits our string of fate, its our will to exist in earth, to be with earth.

It's impossible to think of nature today as untouched by human hands. Nature is in contrast with humanity, and this state is creating an inevitable end that will bring about humanity's demise. To reach this inevitable end as slowly as possible and continue to exist on Earth, we must remember our "place" on Earth and how we got here.

If humanity existed within nature and we are beings capable of thought, we are constantly changing and shaping this Earth we inhabit, whether consciously or not. This shaping is an opportunity to delay our inevitable end as much as possible.

Since we cannot restore our past actions and the environment we have transformed back to its original state, we need to reinhabit this deteriorated, already human impacted state by creating a new habitat. In this secondary habitat, contrary to the usual approach, if we aim to provide area for nature to settle rather than settling in nature, we can consider giving to nature instead of just taking from it and existing with nature for a longer period.

The massive building that was built on site as the second tallest building in country, had its excessive capacity to host and entertain its visitors, but it also overshadowed its environment within its enormous mass.
This block of concrete not only blocked its region’s view and sun exposure, but it also damaged the city silhouette – as its not ideal to build 34 storey building between 8 to 10 storey buildings.

These problems even got worse after Hilton shut down; now its left unused that causes energy & movement flow around the building to zero, it occupies this extensive valuable space that does not benefit anyone and, it takes up soulless space on earth, without anyone inhabiting.

As we only start to care about our place as we inhabit, Hilton needs to be reinhabited to heed and give value to its ground again. To reinhabit a structure where it is difficult for nature to thrive, it is necessary to destruct its old form and liberate its constrained state.

For this, the existing Hilton structure should be DEMOLISHED, and its concrete junk can be used to create niches within it, forming a secondary habitat where both humans and nature can coexist.

Its needed a place functional for all people where they can retreat and escape from busy city life. This retreat center will bring back the social element on site and create a place where people can escape to this niche.
After destruction of hotel, the construction waste will be repurposed as eco-niches for nature to grow.This will be a second nature for non human components as this new ecosystem is created by humans. Areas where the concrete junk is used will be slightly covered with soil. Then, local plants which can live in shaded and dry environment will be planted such as succulents, alpine, mosses, etc. This retreat center will be an eco niche for humans too, as it allows people to reconnect with nature in concrete environment. The way that we can witness waste elements of hotel on ground will be a reminder for everyone how we can create bio-diverse environments in our city.

The structural system of the building proposes a new settlement model, where construction waste filled cube meshes are used as the main load bearing element. This meshes, which can be called gabion cubes are stacked on top of eachother and makes the building stable with its big dimensions & weight. This system does not require any vertical bearing elements like columns, it only needs beams as it works as masonry kind of system.
At first, the gabion blocks are stacked on ground. Then, some of the blocks are removed to create niches. Finally, spatial areas were enclosed with gabion walls and all the other niches worked as light shafts.

Designer: Elif ARABACI
Instructors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ülkü İnceköse & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yılmaz