NEF Çeşme
Description
NEF Çeşme is a residential project shaped around the ancient olive and mastic trees of Çeşme, some of which are 500 to 800 years old. Rather than beginning with the idea of constructing a building, the project begins with a quieter gesture: finding refuge beneath a tree and listening to the rhythm of the land.
Composed of 52 architectural units, each home is designed around a single monumental tree. The tree is not treated as an element outside the house, but as the spatial and emotional center of daily life. Orientation, settlement, and atmosphere are guided by the memory held in roots, the movement of shade, and the patience of the landscape.
Inspired by the courtyard houses of İzmir, each residence is built with structural timber and uses almost no concrete. With shaded courtyards, natural materiality, and a gentle architectural presence, NEF Çeşme offers a cultural retreat into memory — leaving space for nature, time, and human presence.
