Urban Cocoon
- Location: Cekmekoy, Turkey
- Area: 18620 sqm
- Year: 2021
- Work Type: Professional
- Institute / Firm: Sneha Dhanuka + Dhruv Shah
- Status: Conceptual
- Team Members: Sneha Dhanuka + Dhruv Shah
- Supervisor: -
Is it possible to imagine a new typology of community, using cutting edge technology with sustainable materials that can enable people to live in close proximity with nature, but have minimum impact and also feel safe?
The proposed design, in response to the dense vegetation on site, includes every structure being elevated from the ground to have minimum footprint possible.
This also opens up the ground level for more activities, immersive pathways and to allow local plant and animal species to coexist, with humans "nesting" on the upper levels.
The enclosure of the tree houses is envisioned as an urban nest - a peaceful, safe and natural cocoon surrounded by nature.
Bird's eye view of the urban nest
The tree house park is envisioned as a sustainable design truly in synchronization with nature and designed in a way that it has a minimum impact on the site and the existing vegetation.
The tree house park is envisioned as a sustainable design truly in synchronization with nature and designed in a way that it has a minimum impact on the site and the existing vegetation.
Interior view of the module.
Interior view of the module.
The tree house park is envisioned as a sustainable design truly in synchronization with nature and designed in a way that it has a minimum impact on the site and the existing vegetation.
The design allows a kind of space setting and activities in the interior of the tree house modules which is independent of its structure and the shell. This enables the users to modify and use the space as they see fit, with the requirements changing and the modules able to adapt according to it over time.
Over a period of time, the modules may be utilized for many activities such as Yoga, Meditation, Kids indoor play areas, community activities, etc.
The initial thought after looking at this heavily wooded land was to design a space that has a minimum impact on the existing vegetation. The connecting pathways meander around the girths of the trees, linking individual tree houses to the community clusters, as well as to each other.
Master plan
The proposal allows for an organic growth in the number of the tree house modules over a long period of time. As the families expand or more people are inspired to live in a natural setting such as this, the number of modules can increase, with structures built around the remaining trees.
Module Layout