PurposeAdvances in technology and rapidly developing built environment lead to increased energy consumption and depletion of natural resources while harming the environment. The concept of ecological architecture emerged to generate solutions to these problems and various characteristics of traditional architecture, such as use of local and natural materials, energy saving etc. became important for contemporary ecological architecture. This paper addresses, from an ecological perspective, vernacular traditional architecture in Mersin, which has rapidly grown into a metropole from a 19th century Mediterranean port town. This study focuses on the ecological design components among traditional Mersin houses. The objective of this study is to reveal the relationships between vernacular traditional houses of Mersin and ecological architecture and to serve as a guide and reference for architects to design and construct in a way that they do not harm the natural environment and ecological balance by learning from vernacular architecture. Design/Methodology/Approach For the case study, 30 traditional houses located in Mersin old city centre, have been chosen to be inspected in terms of storey height, structural system, materials used for the construction, roof shape and materials, topography, selection of orientation, vegetation pattern, building form, spatial organisation, building envelope, use of renewable energy sources, sanitary installation and circulation systems. Yes and no scaled checklists were used to assess 30 traditional houses to identify the components of their ecological status and the quantitative data drawn from these checklists were used for the analyses of the urban texture. Findings It is observable from the analysis that traditional vernacular architecture of Mersin has various qualities that are compatible with ecological design criteria of our day. Research Limitations/Implications 30 traditional houses which have not been restored, have been chosen in Mersin old city centre. Originality/ValueThe results presented in charts and diagrams are aimed to serve as design recommendations in today's architectural practice in the area and as an ecological pattern in sustainable development projects performed in the future.
PurposePandemic process has led re-questioning home environments within adaptations of new activities inside due to the restriction of outdoor usage. This paper aims to reveal spatial transformations carried out through the time spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study is carried out based on Garfinkel’s (1961) ethnomethodology method (documentary method of interpretation). Analysis focused on the first month of pandemic in which urgent adaptations and solutions produced at home, and the situation in last two weeks of pandemic is analyzed within a control group and comparisons were made. Perec’s (1974) statement of “a user's manual” is used as a checklist of time-space-activity observations proposed on “mondayness, tuesdayness, wednesdayness, thursdayness, fridayness, saturdayness and sundayness.” Instead of daily period, activities performed on a weekly scale were recorded and time-dependent shifts of functions were revealed.FindingsFindings introduced new discussion topics to examine dwelling spaces in “new normal.” Comparisons indicate that hypothesis of gathering all activities in room in terms of “life fits into room” concept is directed through rapid spatial behaviors in daily life as primary adaptation.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough pandemic process continues after study, analysis of first four weeks are accepted as the period of rapid change and compared by last two weeks of pandemic.Originality/valuePandemic indicators proposed in study brings along that there is little information on the subject in literature. Socio-spatial findings address the examinations of spatial transformations into pandemic adaptation.
First year architectural design education can be started with various methods which, through testing within different studio studies, can also give ideas as to how to start architectural education. This study will address the contributions, and results of starting first-year architecture education with game as a mediator. When they start their architectural education, students will have their own unique experiences of form, and space gained since their childhood in their built environment. Therefore, in order to refine the students' perceptions on their built environments at the beginning of the education process, it's necessary to provide them with opportunities that will give them confidence in what they can do about form and space. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the importance of the first year in architectural design education, and to discuss the beginning methods, considerate student, tutor and educational factors together. Thus, the game selected to start the architectural education with the purpose of activating the gaming instinct of the student is the "City Game". The findings of this study provide guidelines for tutors to set up a favorable learning environment from the city and that cooperative learning can be enjoyable by the game for the students.
The paper aims to re-thinking limits in architecture through an educational approach. A study on the concept of limits in architecture provides an understanding of architecture's sensitivity, responsibility, and bindingness. To investigate the effect of limits on design, the paper has conducted a discussion of a design studio experience as a case study. As a method in the study, an architectural design studio where students are asked to produce architectural solutions by giving physical legal, and social limits has been established. In the architectural design studio scenario, Garipce Village, a fisher village located on the border of Istanbul and a first-degree protection area by the Bosphorus zoning laws, was given as a design problem to second-year architecture students. The design solutions that the students brought to the limits of the village both exemplified how architectural design sought an answer to the limits and demonstrated how to approach rural areas. The limits of conservation areas, the social implications of the conservation sites, and the physical limitations of the village compose a limitation set for the design problem of the rural area. The outputs of the design studio are discussed in the context of architectural solutions for limits. The results revealed how questioning the concept of "limit" transformed students' learning experiences in the design studio. It has been observed that the act of designing with limits improves students' awareness, strengthens the relationships established with the context, and incorporates the social dimensions of architectural design into the design.
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