Almondhill

General:
Almondhill is a project covering 106 acres of land, of which 95% will be designated as green space. Excavation works began in November 2006.

Site location and access:
The Almondhill project stretches parallel to the E6 bridge link road, running north‑south through Acıbadem. To the west of the site lies the Otosan plot (purchased by Ülker and agreed with Simpaş for a residential development and shopping centre). To the east will be the Arteverte residences, comprising nine five‑storey blocks belonging to Önalanlar. The difference between the lowest and highest ground levels on the site is about 30 m. The road that links the Arteverte development on the east with the Almondhill project is a bridge connection. This road will join the Acıbadem roundabout at the bridge exit, meaning residents will not be affected by the existing traffic congestion within Acıbadem. At the point where the current link meets the E5‑Hasanpaşa connection, the metro station currently under construction between Kadıköy and Kartal will be situated. From 2010 the metro will be integrated with the Marmaray project, providing a comfortable link to Atatürk Airport. Çeçen Street, located west of Simpaş (Otosan), will be upgraded within these link‑road works to a dual‑carriage, paved road for both directions.

Project:
The development has three main entrances. Each entrance is independent and of equal importance. Two entrances are situated on the side of the site that faces Önalanlar, where the access road runs. The third entrance is on the side adjoining the Otosan plot and also serves the social centre. All entrances are linked to the car park. There are no private vehicles inside the estate; the main internal road is designed to allow vehicle access in emergencies.

Car park:
Visitors must enter the underground car park before accessing the estate itself. The total parking capacity is 1 500 spaces, of which 10 % is allocated to guests. Parking allocations are clearly defined in the management plan. Residents are entitled to one space for apartments up to 152 m², two spaces for apartments up to 237 m² and three spaces for larger units. After parking, residents reach their flats via lift or stairs. Guest parking, like the other bays, has a designated location.

Social facilities:
The estate offers three open‑air swimming pools, a walking trail and 95 % green space, providing a holiday‑village feel within Istanbul. Sports facilities are located at the southern end of the site and include open‑air courts, a basketball court and a mini‑football pitch, among other amenities.

Social centre:
This 10 000 m² centre has been designed to meet every need of the residents. On the ground floor there is a semi‑Olympic indoor swimming pool. The complex will also house a supermarket, sauna, squash court, entertainment arcade, restaurant, pharmacy and hair‑dresser, offering a full range of services.

Structural system:
Projects prepared under the supervision of ITU and the Kandilli Observatory use a reinforced‑concrete shear‑wall system. The ground is classified as Z1 – a hard soil. C35 concrete is used throughout the buildings. Raft foundations are employed. Floors are constructed as lightweight, robust steel‑deck slabs rather than solid concrete slabs. Floor height is 35 cm. The clear height between floors is 3.20 m. After removing the 35 cm floor slab and the 15 cm screed and services, the net height from finished floor to ceiling is 2.70 m, reducing to 2.50 m in kitchens and bathrooms where suspended ceilings are installed.

Sound insulation:
In shared walls between apartments, a layer of styrofoam (white foam) is applied to prevent airborne noise from disturbing neighbouring units. Likewise, a floating floor is installed beneath the screed to absorb impact sounds from the floor above.

Blocks:
The estate comprises a total of 33 blocks: 6 A‑blocks, 22 B‑blocks and 5 C‑blocks, amounting to 710 apartments. The floor‑area breakdown for these blocks is summarised below:

BLOK TYPE m²
ANormal KatVEGA2+1100
Normal KatCAPELLA4+1200
Bahçe DubleksiSPICA3+1163

BNormal KatMIRA1+189
Normal Kat DUBLEKSMIRA DUBLEKS3+1178
Normal KatAQUARIUS3+1152
Normal KatCORONA4+1240
Zemin KatıDRACO3+1228
Zemin KatıVELA2+1119

Zemin KatıLİBRA2+1110

Bahçe KatıDORADO2+186
Bahçe KatıCORVUS1+182
Bahçe KatıLEO3+1161

Bahçe KatıRIGEL3+1176
CNormal KatABELL4+1237
Zemin KatıASCELIA4+1225
Bahçe Katı4+1175

Apartment interiors:
The size of the apartments, whether small or large, does not affect their quality. All units provide a high level of comfort. The technical specifications and systems applied in the apartments are as follows:

ALMONDHILL APARTMENT LIST AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
WINDOWS BRÜKMAN and equivalent wood‑grain PVC (including balcony doors), LOW‑E double‑glazed insulated glass
INTERIOR DOORS Furniture‑style (wood or lacquered finish), coat rack
EXTERNAL DOORS Steel (wood or lacquered finish) Kale
WALLS Satin paint (ceilings: plastic paint) Off‑white
WET AREAS Ceramic (first‑class Vitra)
LIVING AND BEDROOM FLOORS First‑class oak, mahogany etc. (long‑plank) engineered parquet
KITCHEN CABINETS Modular wooden or lacquered system (SİCC ITALY brand)
WHITE APPLIANCES WHIRPOOL built‑in steel hob, extractor fan, dishwasher, fridge, microwave, waste disposer
BATHROOM CABINETS Vitra and equivalent cabinets
BATHROOM FITTINGS Taps and mixers Artema, ECA or equivalents; jacuzzi, shower panels and en‑closures, Vitra, Artema or equivalents
BATHROOM AND KITCHEN SINKS MONTELLI

SYSTEMS
HEATING Vissmann boiler, Alurad thermostatic radiators
COOLING Air‑conditioning system
FIRE Emergency fire button in each flat, smoke and flame detectors in rooms
PLUMBING External water tank of 1.5 tonnes per flat per day, hydro‑pump, Vitra or equivalent fixtures, jacuzzi, concealed cistern systems
NATURAL GAS Audible gas alarm, solenoid shut‑off valve, gas‑leak detector
ELECTRICITY Viko, Le or equivalent fixtures, 380 V three‑phase generator, underground‑car‑park security lighting
ELEVATORS Internal telephone, KONE or equivalent
SECURITY Monitored by a concierge flat, main building entrance, and underground car park via colour monitors and telephone system
LIGHTNING Protective lightning‑rod installation
OTHER Telephone sockets in all rooms, ADSL, satellite and cable TV infrastructure in every room, central system receiving Hotbird and Astra satellite channels