Orange House is a three-storey-residence of steel structure, which is located on a very steep site. The site has a nice combination of urban view and the one of Middle East Technical University forest. The building is composed of five separate rectangular volumes that are connected with each other via glass curtain walls. The building follows a 60 cm x 60 cm grid structure; therefore the proportions of the volumes obey this dimensioning. These volumes are made up of aqua panels, which are cement-based materials covered with glass fiber mesh. The aqua panels are colored with orange plastic paint, which does not fade away even when it is subject to intense sunlight during summer. Both the outside and the inside walls of the volumes are painted in orange. Therefore, the orange color of the outside façade continues at the inside spaces.

Each volume harbors a separate room and opens to a general circulation area in every floor. The rooms are designed with regard to client requirements. For instance, the dining room has dimensions that refer to the existing Persia carpet belonging to users. Every room wall has a double-layer which was developed by taking advantage of steel construction. Such elements as shafts, niches, doors, rainwater pipes, wardrobes are located at the inside surfaces of the double layers. Technical and user requirements are integrated to the design with that way.

The design program is developed by the architect with the aid of the client. The architect aimed at a flexible relationship between program components and materials, user demands, site peculiarities, local climate and habitat, architects and engineers that are involved with the project. The program itself is a “design of relationships”, referring to the relations developed between not only design programs, but also between the drawing and the architect, the architect and the owner and the owner and the drawing. The design program is supported by diagrams, giving way to the integration of user with the design process. The building is the product of a flexible-systematic process without losing the initial idea.

In this building, color has a particular dominance over the design. Both exterior and interior spaces are designed by putting color to the focus of attention. During the day, the building is clearly visible from far away as the result of its orange color. At night, one may observe color changes at exterior and interior spaces in certain time periods. LED lighting equipment that is mounted to such architectural elements as façade, pools, stairs, and terrace decks is helpful in achieving such a color effect. Basically, users can control colors of exteriors and interiors via a tablet-like panel that controls the lighting of the building. Every element of which the lighting equipment is mounted can be subject of control. For instance, one may observe that the building, pools or stairs turn into red at an instant. Or he/she may visualize color changes in every step of the interior stairs. The client, the architect and the lighting designer worked together to achieve such effect throughout the building.