Summaries

Name of Structure:  Karabuk University Iron and Steel Institute
Location: Karabuk University Iron and Steel Institute campus / Karabuk
Design: Timuçin HARPUTLUGİL, Gülsu ULUKAVAK HARPUTLUGİL, Bengi YURTSEVER (Safranbolu Fethi Toker Fine Arts and Design Faculty Circulating Capital Enterprise)
Steel System Construction and Engineering
Services: EPAS Mühendislik
Contractor: Kardemir Aş.
Total Area: 4890 m2 indoor space

Founding date of the Republic city of Karabuk is known as the groundbreaking date of Karabuk iron and steel factory, 3 April 1937. The iron and steel factory which is named as “factory building factories” is one of the most important elements that started the industrial boom of the young republic. Increasing acceleration of development of Karabuk followed by declaration of Karabuk as a province increased even more with the university founded in 2007. Contributions of this establishment which had its signature on heavy industry boom of our country and city to Karabuk province and its university still continues under the name of Kardemir A.ş. following privatization. One of the best examples of university-industry cooperation in our country is displayed in Karabuk. One of the results of this cooperation is the Iron and Steel Institute founded in 2011 within the university.

Karabuk University Iron and Steel Institute (KDÇE) is founded with the purpose of establishing the infrastructure for conducting quality control tests on products produced in our country under internationally accepted accreditation conditions and conducting, procuring and coordinating scientific research in cooperation with producer/user and public/private sector enterprises conducting researches in these areas and contributing to Turkey’s strategies and policies in iron and steel industry in addition to providing the required scientific environment for development of new technologies in iron and steel production in Turkey and the world, increasing product quality, production of high-quality and added-value steel, recycling of production wastes, increasing productivity in iron and steel production facilities and researches for effective and efficient use of local raw material and ore in iron and steel production.

Design team composed of faculty members Timuçin HARPUTLUGİL, Gülsu ULUKAVAK and research assistant Bengi YURTSEVER started their studies for the structure which houses a material research and development center and laboratories allowing internationally accredited test conditions through Karabuk University Safranbolu Fethi Toker Fine Arts and Design Faculty Circulating Capital enterprise. 3 different concept designs with different area options were prepared and project was developed with the consensus of users, design team and authorized bodies of the university. Advantages of steel structural system was practised for structural setup, space organization and creation of required spaces in the laboratory with convenience.
Expectation of setting an example for other structures by utilizing the advantages of steel structure for the institute building in Karabuk University Iron and Steel Institute which is not as adequately used in comparison with other systems in our country and Karabuk is one of the important reasons why the building was designed in steel structural system.
Fundamental principles pursued in the architectural design of the structure can be listed as environmentally friendly structure with the use of energy and material, spatial layout which can be flexibly arranged, easy service solutions and functionality, modular design, circulation in horizontal and vertical directions which may also be easily accessed by disabled persons and a form which encourages scientific studies aside from physical requirements. Furthermore, domination of an understanding showing the technological side of Karabuk University and making performance of science transparent with its transparent surfaces was targeted. Cost efficiency was prioritized in system solutions and different spatial uses (like laboratory and office) were built with separate solutions. Use of possibilities presented by steel structure made all these approaches possible.
Karabuk University Iron and Steel Institute Building was designed as steel structural system and thus presents a way of solution to sustainable architectural approaches which are one of the prominent subjects in architectural solutions in our day. Steel with its recyclability rate up to 98% which is thus accepted as a “sustainable structural system” also is considered as the system with the least carbon footprint in comparison with other structural system materials in the embodied energy perspective. In this regard, the structure with its environment-friendly approach could sustain the principles of Karabuk University which is one of the leading universities of Turkey.
Structure is designed in four blocks (A-B-C-D). Block A consisting of 3 floors houses administrative areas and seminar, study, meeting rooms and a conference hall for 110 people along with their service areas which support the whole education and scientific studies of the institute. Consoles and the formal setup in this block including the main entrance of the structure which is accessed via main campus road were constructed with the simplicities provided by the steel frame system in a manner to reflect the acceleration and social contribution to be provided by the scientific studies. Blocks B-C-D are comprised of 12 spacious laboratories and 16 smaller laboratories in total. In the laboratories to be operated by Karabuk University Iron and Steel Institute, test/quality control and consultancy services will be provided to develop quality assurance systems for industries producing metal alloys in the region and the country in general, qualified workforce will be trained, research and development studies will be performed in the framework of university-industry cooperation and cooperation of universities performing R&D studies and R&D companies in related field will be developed. In this regard, laboratories are designed to allow space solutions in line with international accreditations.
Office build is composed of three floors whereas laboratory building is composed of four floors as per design decisions. Furthermore, a basement is located in the central building. An internal garden is formed to prevent clustering of the blocks and located to allow use by laboratories or offices when required. Offices were requested by users for the laboratories and a cross-section which can be associated with laboratories were developed in this regard. Laboratory offices are dedicated to the laboratories in which they are located and connection was solved by creating a gallery with a spiral staircase in each.