Construction site

A construction site, şantiye in Turkish, is where a building is put up. It covers not just the building itself but also material storage, the working space for machinery, the site office, rest and welfare areas for workers and temporary services. For the length of the build it works like a temporary settlement, with its own layout and its own rules.

Setting up a site

Before work begins, a site layout plan is drawn up: access points, crane position, material storage, waste areas and vehicle routes are all decided. The perimeter is secured with hoarding and warning signs. The building’s corners are set out on the ground and excavation starts. In Turkey, the site engineer (şantiye şefi) is responsible for the technical running of the works, while the building inspection firm checks separately that the work matches the drawings. Health and safety measures are set by the relevant legislation and must be applied at every stage.

The architect on site

A detail that looks perfect on paper means little if it cannot be built. Regular site visits and conversations with the crews and the site engineer help carry the intent of the design onto the site. The construction period matters for marketing too: while the building is still wrapped in scaffolding, renders on the site hoarding show passers-by what it will look like when it is finished.