The Antakya Museum Hotel, Designed by Emre Arolat Architecture is a Hotel built on top of an archeological dig site in Antakya, Turkey. The construction for this building started in 2010 and just recently opened on January 1st, 2020 after over 3000 days of construction. This hotel is wonderful in the fact that you are able to be so close to an actual archeological dig site that you feel as you are part of history itself.The Musem and Hotel blend into one seamless structure with rooms, dining areas and public spaces overlooking these ancient pieces of history. You can see in the picture below there are even luxury rooms that hang above the dig sites overlooking history itself. But as you look at the rooms themselves, with there pristine block-like structure, and compare them to the crumpled and eroded building remnants of Antakya of the past you can see the effects of time and how we have progressed.

This is the Bergama Cultural Center in Bergama-Izmir, Turkey designed by Emre Arolat Architecture. The Bergama Cultural Center follows a recurring theme of the Emre Arolat Architecture group in that there is a large presence of natural elements including everything from grass rooftop and large presence of local stone to a green bridge connecting to the local park.  While also including a library, cinema, and a large multipurpose hall so as to bring entertainment and culture to the people of Bergama.

The Bergama Cultural strives to be modern will staying simplistic so as to not be overdramatic. You can see this from the outside and interior of the building from how everything is made of simple shapes of circles and rectangles and is made up of solid simple materials so as to not make the structure seem gaudy in any way. The building also has a spacious feeling to it with wide-open spaces and large walkways and arches so to give the building a grand presence while also feeling simple and humble with its design

This is the Maslak No 1 Office Tower in Istanbul, Turkey created by Emre Arolat Architecture. Other than its massive size this building has a unique design in that the main part of the structure is covered by a curved outer layer of glass that overlaps each other like fish scales so as allow for better airflow while also protecting the building. In between this outer layer and the office spaces on the supporting structure are trees, so as to create a hanging garden that is nice to look at.

This extra layer on this building allows for people working in the offices’ spaces to feel more secure from the weather and blocks intense direct sunlight to the offices. The added feature of the hanging gardens also creates a more calming and natural feeling that is often absent in office spaces. Even at night the extra protective layer helps reduce light pollution from the building and the reflection of the lights on the outer layer creates a nice lighting effect.

This is a mosque was designed by Emre Arolat Architecture by request of the Sancaklar Family who wanted a mosque overlooking the Buyukcekmece Lake just west of Istanbul Turkey. The mosque is embedded into the side of the hill so as to preserve the sense of belonging that this structure is part of the hill itself. The outside of the mosque is also built with light grey stone to further preserve the sense of nature and simplicity. The interior of the mosque is built in such a way that it seems to resemble a cave with its cascading stone ceilings and solid rock walls with soft lighting so as to create a feeling of peaceful worship. Due to the structure being made of natural materials and built partially within a hill is has natural insulation against heat transfer so as to lower energy costs.

This is a picture of my first apartment at The Ave and when I signed the lease for this apartment was the first moment I felt like a real adult because I was working almost full time to make enough money for rent and that this place was mine. Even though I shared the apartment with four others I didn’t have to share a room or a bathroom with anybody and I felt like I had my own personal space that was all mine and mine alone. This sense of ownership came with a sense of belonging and I felt that there was always a place for me to retreat to if I ever need it. I remember moving into the apartment was a strange and new experience because unlike in the dorms where you only had a small bed area to call your own, here I had plenty of space. With this change however there came the realization that I need things that I never needed in the dorms, like silverware, plates, lots of food and many other things. Even though this realization that I wasn’t fully prepared was frightening, I was optimistic and looking forward to the challenge of living in my own place.

This is the Adams Center and the first place I lived away from home. I remember when I first saw the Adams Center I noticed how it was different from the other dorms in that it had no center that it had a strange look with white things jutting out above and below each level. When I was first entering the building I remember feeling nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time at the prospect of living on my own in a new place. When I walked into Adams the first thing I saw was Raising Canes and I just knew it would be a great year with good food. When I finally got to my room on the 8th floor I was able to see the stadium and I was able to meet my roommate and at this point, I finally felt that I was ready to take on college.

When I was in middle school I got very interested in reading and when I finally got bored with the books in the library my mother took me to Barnes & Noble. Of course, I had seen Barnes & Noble before because it was right next to the Toys are Us and you could see through the many windows and just see rows and rows of books and I would think that it was a place for intelligent people. The first time I actually entered the building I was surprised at how huge and open the space was and just packed with all types of books. The store is one completely open space with bookshelves for walls and in the center is a Starbucks where you can get food and drink so it’s like a maze where you can hide in a corner and just grab a snack and read a book in a corner quietly. For my introverted book-loving self this place was nothing short of a paradise and it took 3 hours to pick out my first book for what was supposed to be a 20-minute trip. I would continuously bug my mom to take me back to Barnes & Noble over the years till I could drive and then I would spend hours there just reading.

This building has probably impacted me the most out of all the buildings in my life, it is the house that I grew up in for 16 years of my life and where my mother still lives. When I was two my father left my brother, my mom and me and the next thing I remember is my mom was introducing this brand new place, that would become home, to our to me and my brother.  This house is full of meaning for me because it represents my childhood and my family and it will always hold a special place in my heart for me.

When I first entered this house I was still so confused about what was happening because of all of the changes but I remember how much I loved the soft fluffy white carpet and how tall the ceilings were compared where we use to live. I remember that when my mom told me that I would get my own room and not have to share with my baby brother I was so excited that the house just seemed to be the biggest present I had every received.