RESIDENTIAL SCALE 03 — APARTMENT Rhino 8 2024 · Concept Study

Coastal Villas

12 units nested into a 45° slope—40% less excavation, 100% sea views.

OVERVIEW

The Turkish coast is littered with terraced villa projects that treat topography as an obstacle to be bulldozed. This project takes the opposite position: the 45° slope is not a problem to solve but a design driver.

Using evolutionary optimization (Galapagos), we tested 1,400 massing configurations to find positions where 12 villa units nest into the hillside with minimal excavation. The result: 40% less cut-and-fill volume than the developer's original terracing scheme, while achieving 100% unblocked sea views for every living room.

Each unit's rotation is individually calibrated using isovist analysis—the algorithm maximized the sea-facing cone of vision while respecting 8m privacy setbacks between units.

THE CHALLENGE

Design 12 high-end villas on a 45° slope without terracing (client rejected the 'concrete retaining wall' aesthetic), while guaranteeing uninterrupted sea views for all units and meeting Turkey's 6.5m coastal height limit.

OUR APPROACH

Research-Driven Design

Topographic Nesting

We discretized the site into a 0.5m terrain grid (14,000 points) and optimized unit placement for minimal cut volume. Best fit: Units 1–4 at elevation 12–18m (south terrace); Units 5–8 at 22–28m (mid-slope); Units 9–12 at 34–40m (ridge). Total excavation: 4,200m³ vs. 7,000m³ for traditional terracing.

Isovist View Optimization

For each of the 1,400 configurations, we computed the sea-facing isovist cone from the living room. Constraint: ≥140° unobstructed view angle. Final rotations range from 12° (Unit 7) to 38° (Unit 3) off the contour tangent.

Solar Carving

Building envelopes were 'carved' using Dec 21 sun vectors to ensure all south-facing rooms receive ≥4 hours of winter sun. The same geometry self-shades during summer (Jun 21) when the sun is 72° above horizon.

Cross-Ventilation Testing

CFD analysis validated that the staggered placement creates pressure differentials enabling cross-ventilation without mechanical systems. Average ACH (air changes per hour) = 8.2 with windows open, exceeding ASHRAE 62.1 requirements.

RESULTS