The objective of this workshop is to design low cost housing for low income groups in order to keep the existing inhabitants of the neighbourhood where they live while providing them with a physically, socially, and economically sustainable and healthier environment to live in.

Yet, the project groups have to consider the necessity of increasing the building density of the settlement in consideration with the underlying economic forces behind the ongoing urban transformation.

With the increase in building and thus population density, the groups have to provide the social mixture in their design solutions.

The selected site is a well defined neighbourhood from which a designer can learn a lot. The existing social interaction patterns are supported by the spatial structure of the old gecekondu neighbourhood. The students are expected to reinterpret the existing neighbourhood structure of the settlement in their project. While the building and population densities have to be increased, the inhabitants have to be provided with a sense of living in a neighbourhood.

Turkey is a country which is frequently hit by earthquakes. Although Ankara is generally considered as a relatively stable terrain, it is an earthquake prone area of 3rd degree. Therefore, students are required to take into consideration the building regulations related to earthquake and landslide risks.