OUR APPROACH TO CIVIC ARCHITECTURE

PURPOSE-DRIVEN

HUMAN-CENTRIC

REGENERATIVE

At onE.GLobe we view civic architecture as an opportunity to shape the cultural, social, and environmental fabric of a community. Our designs for civic buildings are grounded in values of transparency, inclusivity, and sustainability—spaces that serve the public and inspire civic pride.

When designing civic architecture, we take a holistic and future-forward approach:

Public Realm as Priority: We envision civic buildings not as isolated objects, but as integrated catalysts for the public realm—activating plazas, green spaces, and pedestrian flows.
Human-Centered Design: Our spaces promote accessibility, well-being, and comfort for all users—citizens, visitors, and municipal employees alike.
Sustainability Beyond Certifications: We champion regenerative design, optimizing daylight, energy performance, material life cycles, and low-impact land use for long-term value to the city and environment.
Innovation with Purpose: We leverage cutting-edge technologies, such as parametric modeling and AI-enhanced computational design, to explore solutions that are not only beautiful but also highly functional and adaptable to civic needs.
Resilience and Future-Readiness: Our civic designs anticipate the evolving needs of cities, providing flexible spaces that can adapt to future uses and changing patterns of public life.

FEATURED PROJECT

Kadıköy Municipality Building Architectural Design Proposal

Our design for the Kadıköy Municipality Building reimagines how a civic building can serve both its community and its urban context. Far from the traditional image of a bureaucratic, closed institution, this building is conceived as an open, layered, and adaptive public interface — a place where architecture merges with landscape, infrastructure, and the life of the city. Through this project, we aim to offer a new model of civic architecture: one that fosters wellbeing, encourages democratic engagement, and supports ecological regeneration.

The Kadıköy Municipality Building occupies a pivotal location within Istanbul’s evolving urban landscape — a hinge point where the layered identities of the city converge. It is sited at the crossroads of diverse neighborhoods such as Hasanpaşa, Fikirtepe, Koşuyolu, Zühtüpaşa, and Merdivenköy, each with its own socio-cultural character. More than a plot for a new building, the site functions as a strategic urban threshold — a meeting point for infrastructure, mobility, history, and community. Positioned along Kadıköy’s historic east-west cultural and commercial spine — the axis that links ferry terminals and waterfront activity with key destinations like Moda, Yeldeğirmeni, and the restored Gasworks complex — the building is embedded within a dynamic urban continuum. Simultaneously, it borders the Kurbağalıdere corridor, which is poised to transform into a major green and recreational zone in the near future. This unique geography shaped every aspect of the design. The project was envisioned not merely as an institutional headquarters, but as a civic platform deeply integrated into the city — open to movement, layered in experience, and actively participating in the evolving life of Kadıköy.

The architecture of the building is shaped by a deep understanding of environmental, urban, and human factors. The form's fluid, organic geometry results from a rigorous analysis of solar paths, self-shading, pedestrian movement, ventilation, and resilience to the site's high groundwater conditions. Importantly, the building was designed without a basement to preserve groundwater integrity and support resilient land use — a choice that aligns with contemporary principles of climate-adaptive design.

At the ground level, the building offers an open and inviting plaza that acts as an extension of the public realm. There are no monumental stairs or barriers — the entry is transparent and democratic, fostering a sense of openness between the institution and its citizens. Inside, atriums and terraces create visual and spatial continuity, transforming the interior into a dynamic, multi-level civic space. This approach ensures that the building is experienced not as a closed bureaucratic object, but as a welcoming and human-centered environment.

Structurally, the building employs a hybrid system: a central concrete core is paired with an expressive framework of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam elements. This low-carbon structure offers excellent seismic performance, warm and natural interior spaces, and flexible, long-lasting adaptability. The double-layered timber lattice facade functions as an environmental filter — responding to solar orientation with deeper shading on southern and western faces, and more openness on the north. Parametric design allowed us to optimize this system for performance while maintaining a refined and rational construction logic.

At the heart of the building is a 12-meter-deep CLT office ring, designed to surround a central concrete parking and service core. This organically shaped, modular structure is based on a 6-meter grid, optimized for flexibility and long-term adaptability. The 12-meter depth of the CLT bays is not arbitrary — it is an ideal dimension for office spaces, allowing for ample natural daylight penetration across the floorplate without reliance on artificial lighting. Encircling the core, the CLT structure expresses a soft and responsive architectural language, supporting not only environmental performance but also the potential for transformation over time. At the center, the core itself is composed of concrete — housing parking levels, vertical circulation, and a dedicated atrium that brings light into this zone. This core is deliberately designed with future adaptability in mind: as urban mobility evolves and cities move toward car-free centers, the parking structure can be repurposed for new civic or communal uses. The project thus anticipates a transition in urban life — embedding a forward-looking flexibility that supports changing programs and societal values.

Sustainability is embedded in every layer of the project. The absence of deep excavation reduces embodied carbon and preserves natural hydrology. The facade and massing minimize cooling loads through self-shading and natural ventilation strategies. Photovoltaic panels generate a significant portion of the building’s energy, while green roof modules enhance biodiversity and improve PV performance. Rainwater is harvested and reused for landscape irrigation, supported by a visible and educational water management system that promotes public awareness of sustainable practices.

The landscape design furthers this commitment to integration and education. The southern plaza opens to the city and anticipates future connections to a riverside park. Vehicle access is carefully limited to the western edge, preserving tram corridors and maximizing pedestrian space. The landscape includes permeable paving, rain gardens, integrated bicycle infrastructure, and generous public seating — all designed to enhance ecological performance while enriching civic life.

Ultimately, the Kadıköy Municipality Building proposes a new vision for civic architecture. It is a purpose-driven, human-centric, and regenerative structure — one that serves as an interface between citizens and government, rather than an opaque institutional presence. It is future-proof, sustainable, and adaptable, embodying a vision of public architecture as a catalyst for wellbeing and civic vitality.

At a time when public trust in institutions is fragile, architecture can — and must — communicate openness, care, and a commitment to shared values. This project aspires to do precisely that: to create a civic space that is not only functional, but inspiring; not only efficient, but meaningful. We hope it will serve as a prototype for a new generation of public buildings that place people, the city, and the environment at the heart of their design.

To explore the project further, watch our introduction video here: Kadıköy Municipality Building Architectural Design Proposal