Home Green Design RMJM Designs Green Development in Turkey’s Financial District

RMJM Designs Green Development in Turkey’s Financial District

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NEW YORK—International architecture company RMJM announced details of the $1 billion development it is designing in Istanbul’s new residential and business district, which will be one of the greenest projects in Turkey. The luxury 372,000-square-meter development on a site totaling 107,000 square meters—being designed by RMJM’s New York and Istanbul studios—will be located in the Atasehir district of Istanbul which the Turkish government intends to transform into the country’s new financial district and business center.

Set on a highly visible site that features panoramic views stretching from the Bosphorus Strait in the west to the Princes’ Islands and the Sea of Marmara to the south, the 372,000-square-meter project for Turkish real estate development company VARYAP, part of Varlibas Group International, includes a 60-story tower, 1,500 residential units, a five-star hotel, offices and conference facilities with landscaped public areas and parking facilities. The project, which is expected to serve 20,000 people, is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

The RMJM design team intends to create a complex that takes an innovative approach to planning and sustainability. The development is designed to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and, as such, would be the first sustainable mixed-use development of its kind in Turkey.

Solar Heat Gain Minimized

The designers carefully analyzed the local site conditions and embraced the topography, climate and surrounding context to maximize the site’s natural potential and inform building orientation and landscaping. This also ensured panoramic views beyond the site, while minimizing solar heat gain to the building facades.

Active green design features include rainwater collection sites and facilities to optimize water usage and reduce energy consumption, wind turbine technology, cooling water pools that enhance the external landscape and a cogeneration plant that will produce electricity for the development. The unique context and culture of Istanbul is incorporated into the design including a spectral tiled facade, ranging from terracotta to blue to white.

“We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to create a landmark community in Istanbul’s up-and-coming financial district,” said Chris Jones, RMJM Design principal who leads RMJM’s new Istanbul office. “RMJM’s design not only addresses Istanbul’s culture, climate, architectural heritage and cosmopolitan attitude but also sets a new standard for sustainable design for Turkey. Sustainable design is no longer a trend but a necessity and our client VARYAP embraced the idea from the start.”

“Our aim is to ensure that we leave a better world to future generations and we believe that the VARYAP MERIDIAN project will raise the standards of the Turkish real estate market generally,” said M. Erdinç Varlibas, CEO of VARYAP. “The unique design reflects our cultural heritage as well as a true consciousness of the environment, which we strive for in all our projects.”

Go to RMJM.

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