Feyziye Schools Foundation (FMV) Işık Schools Florya Campus is a K12 school design project that brings together the institution’s 139 years of deep-rooted educational tradition with future educational trends.
In accordance with the educational mission of FMV Işık Schools, designing a structure that supports the holistic development of students has emerged as one of the most important criteria of the project.
The land with an area of 7000m², located in the midst of Istanbul’s industrial zone and densely built-up residential areas, has a floor area ratio of one. While the above-ground construction area permitted by the regulations is 7000m², the above-ground construction area required by the highly intensive needs programme of the school is approximately 15.000m². In this framework, while the above-ground building density should have been kept at a limit, it was necessary to accommodate some of the main functions below ground.
In accordance with the regulations, the entrance gates of the primary school and the high school were designed separately. Both the limited area of the plot, and the need to separate these areas of use and entrance, constituted the most challenging aspects of the project, requiring all sets of relationships to be resolved with a more complicated architectural approach.
In order to maximise the use of daylight and natural ventilation, all main areas of use are located above ground. Secondary areas, indoor sports activities and common gathering areas are spread over the first and second basement floors, with the aim of providing natural ventilation and natural light to some of the main functions in these areas.
Both light and fresh air are brought to the basement floors through automated wings that are sensitive to carbon dioxide, as well as light through light wells, skylights and sun tunnels.
In the mass layout, such parameters as maximum daylight, negative effects of the prevailing wind, arrangement of all main uses above ground, and supply of sufficient open areas of use were evaluated. The buildings are located on the eastern-western side of the plot while the southern side is left empty, thus creating a central courtyard that can receive daylight. On the northern side, a learning centre with a glass façade is located. In this way, both the intensity of north winds affecting the central courtyard was reduced, and the façades of the student centre could be made in glass, completely, thanks to the neutral northern light.
Electricity generated by PV solar panels placed on the roof is transferred to student charging stations via floor panels. The aim is to raise the students’ awareness with respect to the utilisation of reusable energy. Indicators integrated with the PV floor panels, displaying information on the electrical energy produced, were positioned in the corridors of classrooms in such a way that they are visible to the students. Walls where these interior panels are located have been turned into objects of interior design with the use of various graphic design visuals.
Panels placed on the façade for solar control reduced the mechanical load by enabling more efficient use of energy in indoor mechanical calculations.
Experiences gained at the time of the pandemic during the project development process were particularly effective in forced and natural ventilation, and cooling decisions, also in determining the character of façade. In this sense, transom windows were used on the façade of each classroom unit, one being at the bottom and the other at the top. These windows are controlled by remote controls and provide natural ventilation when desired. Within the scope of measures taken due to the pandemic, natural ventilation to for each unit has been an important criterion.
On the roof of the indoor sports hall and indoor pool, different structural beam systems were compared in statical terms. The prefabricated slab system was chosen with respect to cost, ease of manufacturing, light unit weight, and no extra load on the building.
The library building, one of the most important buildings of the campus, was constructed with an integrated shell system in terms of engineering. While the façade and the ceiling of the building were designed as a steel load-bearing structure, a gross void was created inside the space without any additional structure. The main approach in the design of this mass was based on architectural and static decisions to emphasise the notion that the space is not actually an area, but a volume. The entire façade and roof structural system was covered with wood to create a solution in acoustics. Without disturbing the continuity in the areas of use developed on the ground floor within the space, smaller functions of use were created with flying chambers carried by the ceiling. The flying planetarium, which also stands as a secondary closed volume within the entire volume, was designed to help users experience the change in the perception of the volume.
Aiming to raise young people with an investigative, sensitive, and globally conscious drive, who will contribute to intercultural understanding all over the world, the institution attaches importance to environmentally sensitive architectural approach for the design of the campus. Solutions were produced both to instill environmental awareness in students, and to utilize energy efficient use of resources.
The roof of the school’s ground floor is designed as a green roof. This roof slab is linked to the ground by a ramp, and at this point, it is connected to another green area. In this way, the use of green areas is created in such a way that even the students on the first floor can access it within a short distance without any interruptions.
The densely wooded area on the west side of the site is reserved for various social activities. Here, a small orchard for students to get acquainted with harvesting, walking paths amongst trees, an outdoor sports field, and viewing and recreation elements are located.
