The study (April 2016 – March 2017), has been dealing with the adaptation processes of Syrian asylum seekers in Turkey specifically in Istanbul. The presence of the Syrian asylum seekers in Istanbul is no longer temporal, they have been become a part of the society. From socio-demographic and socio-economic aspects, it needs to be understood and analyzed the adaptation problems of the asylum seekers along with other inhabitants of the city. Design approach in this manner is crucial to provide a solution to this problem.

Istanbul has always been a cosmopolitan city with different ethnic groups living together. As part of the ancient city, Fatih district in the historical peninsula is in the center of this multicultural characteristics of the city and nowadays is one of the most crowded Syrians in the city.  The main reasons for settling in Fatih are; accessibility, intersection of the infrastructure, lower rent prices, lots of places to inhabit, low cost living expenses, local knowledge of Arabic language. The project area was chosen as Küçükpazar because of being one of the most Syrian populated neighborhood in Istanbul (Fatih district).

With the urban intervention focusing on various locations, a new symbiotic life approach will be integrated within people of the society and the Syrians. The cycle designed as an environment that seekers will stay in the residence in exchange for working in one of the jobs in the complex. The main goal of the masterplan is to create a dynamic system for Syrian asylum seekers and locals inside the existing one by using the leftover buildings. In the Küçükpazar neighborhood. The purpose of the project goes along with the reuse of the ruins and abandoned buildings in the area. This way construction of new buildings in this historical area would be avoided, meanwhile providing space needed to the asylum seekers and restoring these buildings. With the analysis of the neighborhood, the functions were proposed due to the lack of NGO support of the Syrians around. 5 main NGO services which are law-related NGO service, health care-related NGO service, guidance-related NGO service, education-related NGO service, children and social-related NGO service are defined.