From Concrete to Miraculous Greenery

“Projects That Occupy the Entire Site, Nature That Disappears…”

We evolved, urbanized, and gradually eliminated nature from our cities.

The professional practice of landscape architecture in Türkiye is increasingly becoming integrated with international standards, which is certainly encouraging. However, insufficient coordination among the various professional disciplines involved in the built environment, together with inappropriate legal regulations, continues to result in irreversible mistakes—particularly in major cities where land is extremely expensive.

In recent years, almost all of the large-scale mixed-use developments we have worked on in major cities have occupied the entire site at basement level, leaving us with the challenge of creating artificial gardens that have no direct connection to natural ground.

Even today, none of us can fully predict the long-term outcome of these artificial landscapes, despite the advanced technologies employed and the considerable resources invested in their design and construction.

I would like to share one of these projects with you.

A 3,800 m² Mixed-Use Development in Tarabya

In 2018, we worked on a 3,800 m² mixed-use development in Tarabya, comprising residential and commercial spaces.

Our objective was to design and implement a landscape that would respond to all user needs across the areas remaining between buildings positioned at different levels over a continuous concrete slab. The aim was to combine functionality and aesthetics while maximizing the amount of greenery that could be introduced into the residential and commercial environment.

During the implementation phase, metal landscape structures—and predominantly Corten steel raised planting elements—were used to create a dynamic green character throughout the site.

For the private gardens, modular planters were incorporated into the design to maximize planting capacity while allowing flexibility within individually designed outdoor spaces.

All circulation routes throughout the site were planned with accessibility in mind, ensuring that the project could be completed as a fully barrier-free and accessible landscape.

Because the site consisted of multiple level changes, specially designed guardrails were developed to ensure user safety while integrating seamlessly with the overall architectural and landscape language.

To reinforce the project’s identity, we also incorporated laser-cut Corten steel screens and bespoke landscape elements specifically designed for the development.

The result is a landscape that transforms an entirely constructed, concrete environment into a dynamic green setting, demonstrating how thoughtful landscape architecture can introduce nature, identity, and human-scale experience even within highly constrained urban conditions.