Apartment Building with 4 Units: Site Visit

First Impressions

Walking among the almost entirely illegally constructed buildings, it's possible to observe that this problematic, tumor-like structural pattern is the result of a long process. Istanbul's initial settlement reflex, stemming from intense migration and the use of shantytown-type structures, has gradually transformed into "shantytown apartments" with illegal floors, extensions, and attic settlements; however, its logic, reflexes, and even spatial habits have largely remained the same.

Producing a project in such a place ceases to be merely a matter of designing a building. It becomes more like becoming part of a brutal system that has already established its own rules. Moreover, this system, while having formed itself, has also managed to be defined by an official framework that has influenced local planning notes attempting to describe and classify it. What role does an architect play in such a place?
At this point, the question becomes inevitable: Is it possible to produce a building that is "belonging to the place" but also of high quality in such a location?