SuperAdobe Children's Library
The Superadobe Children's Library is an earthen building and community-oriented reconstruction project developed in collaboration with Herkes İçin Mimarlık (Architecture for All) Association following the earthquakes of February 6, 2023. Built in a rural area of southeastern Türkiye with the participation of many groups and individuals, the project aims to address the lack of qualified social spaces in the earthquake-affected region through architectural practice.
Located in Kahramanmaraş, Türkoğlu, within the 23 Nisan Park, the structure is formed by the intersection of two domes, each 3.5 meters in diameter. Designed for use by children, youth, and adults alike, the library serves as a public learning space open to reading, gathering, and workshop activities. The window openings are arranged at a child-friendly height, while the stained-glass oculus at the top brings daylight into the interior, creating a warm and luminous atmosphere within the domed space.
The design prioritizes locality, accessibility, durability, and sustainability. The primary building material is a mixture of locally sourced soil—optimized through laboratory testing—and a small percentage of cement. Using the Superadobe technique, earth-filled bags were laid in successive layers and compacted to form the domes. The approximately 40 cm thick monolithic walls enhance both thermal comfort and seismic stability. The interior surfaces were finished with earthen plaster, while the exterior received a specially formulated lime plaster.
Developed in 1984 by architect Nader Khalili, the Superadobe technique is a low-tech, collective, and highly resilient earthen construction method used across different geographies for emergency shelter solutions. Its nature makes it particularly suitable for post-disaster contexts, enabling local communities to participate in the production, maintenance, and repair of their built environment—strengthening both social resilience and long-term sustainability.
The Superadobe Library has been featured in various national and international publications, was selected for the 2024 Arkitera Architecture Yearbook, and was exhibited at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale – Türkiye Pavilion, where its community-driven natural building process was showcased through videos and technical drawings.
In this project, our team at Poçolana Works took an active role in all phases—from the main design decisions to construction, from carpentry to plasterwork—both independently and as members of the Architecture for All Association. Following the completion of the building, we received support from CultureCIVIC, one of Türkiye’s significant cultural funding programs, which enabled us to initiate children’s workshops and activities in the region.
We believe that the life cycle of a building extends far beyond its design and construction phases; it is a living whole that grows through the relationships it forms—from the emergence of the first idea to its everyday use—with human and non-human actors alike. For this reason, our practice often includes not only the making of a structure but also its ongoing care, activation, and the strengthening of its social connections.
From this perspective, the Superadobe Children’s Library holds a special place for us—not only as the first example in Türkiye where two Superadobe domes are merged, but also for the structural, social, and psychological relationships it has cultivated within a post-disaster setting. Through the children’s activities, festivals, and community gatherings that continue today, the project remains a living, evolving, and ever-teaching space.
