Historical buildings and environments, which are integral parts of society's culture, serve as significant documentation reflecting the social, cultural, and economic accumulations of civilizations and the architectural and material characteristics of the era in which they were constructed, preserving their importance to the present day. Ensuring the sustainability of historical buildings and passing on their uniqueness to future generations is a crucial task for all cultures. However, in Turkey, a large majority of historical buildings are rapidly disappearing due to disasters, misguided government policies, vandalism, abandonment, misuse, restorations, and fires. In the contemporary context, the restoration technique known as "adaptive reuse" allows historical buildings that are no longer used for their original functions to be repurposed with different functions, thereby safeguarding their preservation for future generations. The approach of adaptive reuse ensures the conservation of historical buildings while adapting them to meet the needs of future generations, and this practice is gaining prominence. In Aydın, a city that emerged in a state of ruins after the War of Independence, a rapid rejuvenation effort commenced with the proclamation of the Republic. Under the influence of the First National Architecture Movement, service buildings and residences were constructed in the city. Aydın Cumhuriyet Mektebi, influenced by this movement, became the first middle school structure built in Aydın. The building has retained its significance in terms of Aydın's history and memory since its inception, preserving its architectural features and conservation values to a great extent. This article will evaluate the applied adaptive reuse efforts at Aydın Cumhuriyet Mektebi in the context of conservation and sustainability. It will examine the history of the building, identify its conservation values, narrate the process of change the building has undergone, and conclude with an assessment and conclusion section.

Keywords: Aydın Republic School, adaptive reuse, Aydın, sustainability, the educational buildings