Villa İnci

Horizontal architecture opening onto the garden

Villa İnci is a residential project from 2024, designed for a 1,250 m² plot in Mercan, in Istanbul’s Tuzla district. A.A.Y Mimarlık prepared the architectural design and obtained the building permit. The building is designed across three levels in total: two above ground and one basement below ground.

An exposed concrete façade, a green roof and aluminium elements define the building’s material palette. Deep eaves and upper-floor balconies running along the façade emphasise its horizontal form. The texture of the concrete, the fine lines of the aluminium and the timber tones at the entrance give the façade depth, while the green roof carries the garden’s planting onto the building.

The house has two entrances: a main entrance and a separate staff entrance connected to the service kitchen. This arrangement gives everyday living and service circulation their own access routes. A broad canopy extending along the parking area and main entrance defines the approach to the house; its circular openings are distinctive details within this horizontal composition.

The garden wall does not enclose the entire plot, allowing the entrance side of the house to engage with the street. The parking area between the garden and the street, together with the landscaping in front of it, separates the garden from the street and defines the private living space. Openness at the entrance and privacy in the garden are therefore considered together. Large glazed openings facing the garden, alongside the pool and curved terrace, strengthen the connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces.