Who is BINAA? How did you started?
BINAA is an Architectural design and research studio founded as a start-up in 2012, after my Architectural education, international observation and business experience in my 10 years in USA. Our main goal is to form an interdisciplinary collaboration model qualified by a powerful interaction between Research, Design and Application, within the scope of Building, Innovation, Arts and Architecture. All design procedures are shaped under different conditions of human resources, location, time, technology and finances. But these conditions can oftenly become limiting agents challenging the perfection of the project. As BINAA, we proceed with two essential questions: How can we eliminate these limitations during production and how can we create more functional, aesthetic, adaptable building areas that are remembered? Our aim is to illuminate the invisible steps between research and application.
Modern day architecture is not about singularities, but collective thinking. Thinking outside the box, can only be achieved through interdisciplinary collaboration between architects, engineers, businessmen, laborers, craftsmen and users. How can these different perspectives can be binded during the process of an architectural creation? Architectural projects can be seen as theatrical productions. After the construction’s done, it becomes a stage; ones that helped constructing it are the actors passing on their experiences to the users, who are the audience. Every project is a new beginning, a new adventure, responsibility and most important of all, a creative process where we want to try innovative ideas.
Looking back, which are some of your most important projects?
Our S2OSB Management Building Project, came first in the world in Architecture and Metal category at the Architizer A+ Awards, is very important and helped us gain international recognition. The local success we achieved with S2OSB led us to collaborate with Sakarya Municipality and Ministery of Culture and Tourism in Sakarya Public Library and Information Center Project. This project will be a pilot in Turkey and aims to create a sociocultural focal point in our cities. Another remarkable Project in BINAA’s history is Argul Weave in Bursa, with extraordinary construction techniques and façade details.
Focusing on your international prizewinner project, how was the design process for S2OSB Management Building? What was your mission in this design?
Sakarya 2nd Organised Industrial Region accomodates important industrial hubs of developing Turkish industry. We were able to plan our goals and budget from the very beginning. As the architecture team, we aimed both to create an exciting project for the executives that will meet their needs, and a design that will represent the region internationally. Located in the center of traditionally horizontal buildings of the industrial site, becomes a public focus. We brough the executive offices and the multipurpose hall into the communal use of S2OSB.
It’s an iconic building in the area thanks to its form and facade design. How did you decide on design?
We questioned how to make two contrasting (transparent non-transparent) adjacent facade characters, belonging to two different-functioned units work. Our priority was to build functioning social areas and work spaces.
What are your opinions on the building’s interaction with the surrounding environment?
We aimed to create an innovative commonground for the industrialists. We think that a radical construction like this will raise awareness and encourage its environment.
What are the differences between designing a building at the city center versus in an area like this?
How was your design affected by it? As a team, we don’t focus on urban centers, on the contrary, we prefer to work on places where architectural design is not a priority. S2OSB located in a two-hour drive from Istanbul, became an iconic building for the region. We tried to introduce a new perspective by setting an example. One of the best perks of architectural design is to discover new places on each project, and to observe from the locals’ standing point. It’s an eye-opening process. We are willing to work anywhere around the globe, especially in places where we could enrich with architectural design.
How does the semi- transparent material connect the interior with the exterior? We found or inspiration in large-scale sheet metal doors and facades in industrial buildings. We tried to show the mathematical aesthetic of the industry with the fluid pattern of our facade. We created the idea of enwrapping the facade with perforated, pervious sheet metal, and in doing so, we were able to provide variability with a single material for different needs of different functions; from the multicultural hall (non- transparent) to the offices (transparent). Geometric construction of the panels served them structural stability, while reflecting the natural light in varied angles and filtering it, creating a rhytmic pattern.
We can see that the exterior style continues in the interior. How was the interior scheme formed?
We preserved the geometric pattern we designed for the facade, and functionally adapted it into the conference hall. The inner shell of the conference hall is cladded with geometric, laminated wood acoustic panels. On the office area, the secondary facade is visible through the transparent workng area, which creates an entirely different effect with the sunlight filtered through it forming shadows.
How did you achived the warm interior atmosphere despite the metal coldness of the facade?
What is the connection between interior&exterior materials? We chose to use natural stone and wood on the interiors as opposed to metal on the facade, creating a contrasting relationship between the spaces and materials.
What kind of spaces did you aim to provide the users while designing the offices and working areas?
Upon entering the building, there is a conference hall, a small exhibition space and a foyer on the left hand side. Located on the right are office foyer and the transparent offices reserved for the architecture and engineering offices of S2OSB, and also the meeting room, cafeteria and archives. The chief executive office is situated on one end of the L shaped corridor the greeting hall, reception and the secretary on the other. A sense of infinity is generated by the mix of reflections of the materials such as natural stone floorings, glass partitions and black PVC ceilings. We wanted to represent the management’s vision in the most elegant way with the specialised working and meeting areas. Aside from meeting it’s users’ needs, the building also functions publicly through the conference hall.
How did you design this part of the building?
S2OSB conference hall aims to unite different industrial branches and various communities. The memorable design allows hosting multi-purpose events. This union draws attention to the great potential that the industry has, while showcasing the importance of architecture and design in revealing it. For the design, we tested the geometric variations with our acoustics consultant over the 3D model, and we obtained the ideal form. We were then able to transfer it to the construction site after developing with the help of mock-ups.
The geometric pattern on the facade helps create a dynamic feeling with the reflective quality of the metal and different angles of sunlight through the day. The rhythmically distributed perforated panels of the conference hall detach from the facade at the office area, thus serving as sunshade elements. This way we were able to create comfortable working areas by filtering the natural light and controlling the temperature.
Situated in the Sakarya region, S2OSB is a pioneering management building, headquarters and conference hall. Uniting the vision of their management and engineering teams, it is also an iconic structure in the area, engaging people into a new way of looking. The façade made of thoughtfully crafted metal, wraps around the building and helps communicate the structure’s multi- faceted purpose: from head offices to the conference hall. At the conference hall, the geometrically textured shell starts with mostly solid panels followed by perforated panels, increasing rhythmically until they detach as a double facade that filters controlled daylight to the offices. The interior is camouflaged by the exterior whereas the users can see outside. At night, the lighting design reiterates a dual purpose: at the solid facades, lighting is integrated into rhythmically distributed perforated panels, which then gets fully perforated at the offices where the internal lighting expresses an alternative perception of the facades’ pattern. Thus, the façade is dynamic and expressive of the building’s purpose in an artful way.
