Theses - Department of Architecture
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Item Open Access A study on shell structures through a comparative case study analysis(Bilkent University, 2023-08) Ejaz, Khawaja TalhaShell structures in architecture have been a topic of interest for both architects and engineers. As they do not only provide aesthetic architectural spaces but also provide efficient engineering solutions to cover larger areas. This thesis examines the historical development of shell structures and analyzes the classification of contemporary shell forms as pure shells. A comparative study of form-finding methodologies and structural systems based on fundamental shell principles is conducted, considering advancements in design techniques. The research investigates the differences in form-finding methods between historical and contemporary shell structures and their impact on design and construction. The role of auxiliary support systems in contemporary shells and their effect on classification as pure forms are explored. A categorization based on structural systems is proposed to distinguish between historical and contemporary interpretations, accounting for complexity, integration of non-shell elements, and auxiliary support systems. The analysis of structural systems focuses on load-bearing mechanisms, load paths and shell type in terms of original shell behavior in each case study. Findings highlight the shared characteristics, disparities, and patterns in form-finding methods and structural systems. The implications of deviations from historical shell principles in contemporary cases are assessed in relation to their classification as pure shell forms. Furthermore, the degree of adherence to fundamental principles is discussed. The primary objective was to gain a deeper understanding of form-finding techniques, structural systems, and functionality in shell structures over the years. Through this investigation, the research aims to determine how closely contemporary shell structures align with the fundamental principles of historical shell structures. Through an extensive literature review and examination of historical and contemporary case studies, this thesis offers a comprehensive understanding of shell structure evolution.Item Open Access Acoustical characterization of clay pots in Ottoman architecture through experimental and numerical analysis methods(Bilkent University, 2022-07) Atay, GülnihanEmployment of clay pots as building elements is a common practice especially in the medieval structures throughout Europe and Near East. Despite the fact that their acoustical employment in historic structures is well known and dates back to the 1st century BC as observed in Vitruvius' writings, their true contribution to the acoustics of Medieval Architecture remains to be a subject of discussion. They are also present in Ottoman Architecture including Süleymaniye Mosque designed by Sinan the Architect Laureate. Although these elements placed in the dome of Süleymaniye are often interpreted to be utilized as Helmholtz resonators, a scientific account regarding their sound-absorption performance is needed so as to understand whether they actually perform as cavity resonators. Therefore, the scientific investigation of their acoustical behaviour through analytical, experimental, and numerical analysis methods is necessitated. The objective of this study is to discuss the effects of the clay pots on the sound energy decay pattern of Süleymaniye Mosque. The study begins with an archival research phase covering the versatile employments of clay pots as building elements that are not limited to their acoustical utilization. The study then proceeds with the impedance tube measurements conducted with the reproduced sample of an actual-sized clay pot employed in the structure. The results are then verified with finite element modelling (FEM) simulations. Finally, sound absorption coefficients, obtained from the latter are transferred into the ray tracing simulations so as to understand the pots' effect on reverberation times (T30) in the edifice. In the conclusion part, sound absorption performance of clay pots and their possible contribution to the mosque acoustics are discussed. As a result of the study, the resonance frequency of the clay pots embedded into the central dome of Süleymaniye Mosque is found to be 50 Hz. Additionally, they are also proven to be effective at 500 Hz octave band. Consequently, the ray tracing simulations exhibit a 2 seconds decrease in T30 values at 500 Hz octave band. This also proves the improvement of reverberation time at this octave band range, which was measured after the final restorations of Süleymaniye Mosque with repaired pots.Item Open Access An archaeoacoustic study on Cappadocia; acoustical identification of religious and secular indoor spaces(Bilkent University, 2021-09) Adeeb, Ali HaiderThe goal of this study is to identify the indoor sound fields of Cappadocian special rock-cut structures and by this to provide the platform of discussion on the aural effects in the original use and context of spaces. Cappadocia’s rock-cut structures have been enlisted as mixed -natural and cultural- World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The spaces of Cappadocia from the Middle Byzantine Era have been studied from an archaeological perspective; however, this study is the first of its type as it investigates such spaces from an auditory perspective. Similar acoustical studies have been conducted on natural caves (Paleolithic caves) and man-made structures (Neolithic structures, Roman catacombs) from around the world. The methodology of this study is composed of three steps; in-situ field tests of five rock-cut structures (one church and four residential halls) from Middle Byzantine sites of Hallaç, Açıksaray and Avanos, impedance tube tests on rock samples from Göreme and Ürgüp for estimating their sound absorption coefficients, and virtual reconstruction of Çanlı Kilise by ray-tracing simulations. According to tube measurements and room acoustics simulations, the Cappadocian tuff from different parts of the region is found to have different sound absorption properties and thus, various physical properties. Acoustic parameters (EDT, T20, T30, C80, D50, and STI) are obtained for the spaces under study by field tests and room acoustic simulations. Based on acoustic analysis from field measurements and simulations, both the church spaces are suitable for liturgical practices. On the other hand, the residential halls are found to favor speech-related activities more. The acoustics of rock-cut spaces are also compared with natural caves and man-made structures from other parts of the world; when the acoustic parameter results are compared, the Cappadocian tuff is found to be more sound absorptive than the karst in natural caves but less absorptive than the tuff in Roman catacombs.Item Open Access Archipelago as a tool to study urban form: the case of Ankara(Bilkent University, 2022-08) Güngör, Ezgi NurIn the literature on urban morphology, the city and urbanization are considered two antithetical forms since urbanization as a term was coined by Cerda. There is a dichotomy between the practices of these two terms regarding the physical form of the city. This formative dichotomy covers a variety of tensions arising from architectural production processes. In the context of urban morphology, the contemporary city can be defined as a meeting of those spatial contradictions depending on architectural form. Typology is a discourse including different formative theories that could reveal those contradictions and enhance urban morphology analyses. Within those theories, autonomous form is the one that aims to create an independent abstract language of the physical form by isolating it from the other practices that influence the urban form. Under the influence of the theory of autonomous form, the literature of urban morphology contains several concepts as a result of different attempts to explore the urban form. “Archipelago” can be described as one of the radical concepts depending on the theory of autonomous form. It is a metaphor to describe architectural formations that emerge as individual forms of aggregations-resembling the islands of an archipelago- based on their typology. Since the beginning of the Turkish Republic, Ankara, as the capital city, has encountered the dichotomy between city and urbanization through different planning periods. Through the planning periods, Ankara has become a laboratory land of urban form, which has accelerated the formative contradictions in the city. Despite those contradictions, Ankara has a considerable domain of autonomous forms in terms of urban morphology. In this context, this thesis attempts to explore the autonomous forms of the city, Ankara, by conceptualizing it as an archipelago. It is also an attempt to transform the diagram of the autonomous forms into a generative matrix that could discover alternative urban form.Item Open Access Architecture and cinema: analysis of the relationship between narrative and architectural space in Christopher Nolan’s the Dark Knight Trilogy(Bilkent University, 2020-11) Barut, BerinCinema’s invention in the 19th century has changed humans’ relationship with the built environment and introduced new possibilities of representing architectural spaces. Both architecture and cinema mediums concentrate on certain (common) notions such as space, time, narrative, editing and framing all of which contribute to the strong relationship the two disciplines have. The relationship between architecture and cinema is a two-directional one; both disciplines mutually influence and affect each other. This thesis suggests that the notions of space and narrative should be regarded as the most important elements of the relationship architecture and cinema have since they encapsulate other notions mentioned and, in order to fully realize this relationship, these two notions should be analyzed in relation to each other in detail. Cinematic narrative and architectural space represented in film constantly influence each other; any change in the narrative affects the representation of space and employment of a certain space alters the cinematic narrative. In order to analyze this relationship, this thesis concentrates on how architectural spaces and cinematic narrative mutually influence each other via a close analysis of The Dark Knight Trilogy. As a result of the analysis conducted, it is found out that space and narrative have a strong and twodirectional relationship: the cinematic narrative has the power to infiltrate into architectural space represented in the film and, as a result of this, alters the meaning of the space represented. Moreover, this situation contributes to the narrative and is used to highlight certain narrative concerns within the film.Item Open Access Assessment of reverberance perception and preferential acoustical conditions in educational atriums(Bilkent University, 2022-07) Naeemaee, RozhinAtriums, with their large spans and superior voids, in modern life have changed their patterns of use from being only circulation zones to multi-functional gathering spaces. One solution to the challenge of transforming atriums to function as multifunctional spaces is optimizing the reverberation time. However, the optimum criteria of reverberation time for atriums have not yet well been set. This causes unnecessary intent of acoustical material applications within contemporary atriums. This study aims to provide a ground for such discussion on the optimum criteria, which can in the future lead to changes in standards and codes. With an aim of defining a proper range for reverberation per function and volume of the space, this research investigates the perception and preference of reverberation metrics (T30, EDT) within the context of educational atriums. The methodology starts with field tests and field surveys within four atriums of different departments at Bilkent University. Acoustical models of the atriums are tuned according to the field tests. Next, interior surface materials are modified for obtaining different sound energy decay rates and auralizations are applied to be used in subjective testing to seek preferential listening conditions. Produced audio clips by auralizations reflect different reverberation settings by the systemically increased amount of absorption, which is grouped for different intervals. An online listening test and questionnaire are held over a sample group of 67 students. Based on the analysis, the audio clips from groups G2 (1.00 sItem Open Access Biobased sound absorptive panel system design and development using fruit seeds(Bilkent University, 2023-09) Tarman, DamlaIn order to reduce the carbon footprint due to currently applied sound absorptive materials in the building construction field, alternative sustainable systems are investigated in this research. By re-using the waste fruit seeds that are abundant in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, a composite panel system is developed to be applied in buildings as a fine finish surface, like a wall or ceiling panel. The raw material is composed of various fruit seeds, including cherry, watermelon, olive, etc. The tree resin is combined with wood fire ash as a natural adhesive. The efficacy of the adhesive property is the subject of biological adhesive research. Wood glue is utilized as an alternative to other adhesive materials; it is considered more efficient in material production due to its practicality and accessibility. The varied combinations of seeds, tree resin, and wood glue have been tested through impedance tube measurements, and sound absorption coefficient data are acquired. To test the efficiency of produced samples, one with the maximum sound absorption performance is tested in the design studio at Bilkent University based on the data obtained, which is a current acoustic problem due to very high reverberance. An acoustical model is generated replicating the problematic studio, and the panel system is tested through ray-tracing simulations. On the generated studio model, the panel system is applied to specific surfaces, and reverberation times for the current and adjusted state of the studio is compared. The results indicate that the panels out of seeds combined with proper adhesives have a potential to be applied as a sound absorptive decorative system in various architectural spaces.Item Open Access Biomimetic acoustic metamaterial design for architectural applications(Bilkent University, 2020-08) Yazıcı, BeyzaThis study investigates the potentials of acoustic metamaterial (AMM) applications in room and building acoustics by means of impedance tube experiments. With their extreme properties in either sound absorption or transmission loss, AMMs can perform better than many traditional acoustic materials in buildings. Importantly, they are also more sustainable and hygienic than fibrous and porous materials. Depending on the matrix material used, AMMs can vary in transparency and color. Considering both their acoustic and aesthetic values, this study develops different types of metamaterial for possible uses as a partition wall, a surface layer, or a design element. The proposed metamaterials are primarily based on the exploration of ratios and forms from nature – the golden ratio, web-labyrinthine structures, genetic and neural systems such as DNA molecules and the synapse structures in the brain – reproduced on a sub-wavelength scale. These abstractions are then combined with the 3D space coiling and 3D labyrinth approaches of AMM design. Modules of the proposed AMMs are manufactured in a 3D printer and tested in an impedance tube to estimate their normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and transmission loss characteristics. Based on the results obtained, the modules with the higher performances are used in the design of partition walls of varying heights. Two real-case architecture studios are simulated with and without the proposed AMM interventions over field test-tuned acoustical models of the studios to assess the effectiveness of such an approach in a possible acoustical design problem.Item Open Access Bruno Taut, Weltanschauung and the concept of dwelling(Bilkent University, 2021-04) Kılınçer, Nur YıldızAmong the building types that concern Bruno Taut, dwelling (Wohnung) is one of the most important. Therefore, it is inevitable to consider dwelling (Wohnung) in a distinct category from Taut's other architectural creations. On the one hand, dwelling is a design field of the architect that turns into a manifesto in which architect reflects his own stance and conviction. On the other hand, in the philosophical context, dwelling becomes the mental locus where existence of individual expands. In other words, within the cosmic environment, dwelling is not only a way of locating and inhabiting in the universe, but also a basis for evaluating life and understanding the world. With the intention of creating a theoretical framework in such a perspective, this research explains the importance of having a reference to a particular philosophical thinking, Weltanschauung, in development of the dwelling and in the elaboration of the architectural discourse of Taut. The concept of Weltanschauung has indications which particularly allows this research to understand Taut’s ideas and architectural works. The aim of this thesis is to reread and reorganize the discussion about Taut and his concept of dwelling that is illuminated under the Weltanschauung.Item Open Access Building of a “new” architectural tradition in Kyrgyzstan: the case study of the open air park “Manas Ayili”(Bilkent University, 2020-01) Baiborieva, ZhamiliaKyrgyzstan experienced very critical moment during a transition from the Soviet Union state into new independent republic. Despite being rooted in the rich history of great civilizations and cultural traditions, there was an urge for the new national identity, which would unify people. In this context, new national elites promoted a mythical figure of the noble Kyrgyz hero - Manas, to portray the primordial origins of Kyrgyz culture and a tradition centred on him. It turned his image into a powerful tool to forge a new Kyrgyz identity in a nation building process. The same year, a governmental committee announced a design competition for a realization of an open-air ethno-cultural park - “Manas Ayili”. The winner of the competition, a Kyrgyz architect Dyushen Omuraliev supervised both design and construction processes in the project. The aim of this thesis is to study the discourse of Omuraliev, and in particular to focus on his attempt on transfer of ethnic, cultural and mythical symbols into an architectural language. A “new” national architectural language expected to embody values and ideals of the brand new Kyrgyz nation, and at the same time to herald the construction of the strong tradition to support the new national identity. The thesis attempts to analyze and discuss the case study of Manas Ayili and an approach of the architect in order to point out the number of significant connections with the architectural theories. In particular, the thesis will be evaluated through the four key criteria: locus, metaphor, type and diagram, which would allow to relocate the discussion to an international level. Eventually, the thesis attempts to derive the process of “construction” or “invention” tradition by the architect, on the background of the complex political and social changes.Item Open Access The changing dynamics of the architectural profession in Turkey, 1960s - 1970s: the rise of participatory design and the experimental case of İzmit new settlements project(Bilkent University, 2019-07) Bozkurt, EdaThe post-WWII period was dense of political, economic, and social transformations whose repercussions spread well beyond the Western scene. Although Turkey didn’t participate directly into the conflict, it was nevertheless invested by this set of changes that turned out to be crucial in directing the internal dynamics of the country. Moreover, the widespread capitalist development and the consequent accelerating industrialization, drove Turkey along a turbulent process, full of continuous and multi-faceted transformations, which include unpredictable national politics, emerging new economies and social structures, and in particular, rapid and uncontrolled urbanization. This climate of change and radical transformations eventually affected also the discourse and the practice of architecture. After the collapse of CIAM, and the orthodox ideology of modern architecture, the climate of austerity originated in the post war era determined an internal crisis in the architectural discipline, and a profound re-foundation of its objectives and duties. In particular, the recognition of the social inequality derived from the post-war urban renewal programs in Western nations, eventually threatened the very credibility of architecture. This renewed criticism aiming to question the social roles of architecture, starting from the beginning of the 1960’s entered decisively into the architectural debate in Turkey. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate and trace the changing dynamics of the architectural profession, regarding the concern of ‘social awareness’ as a central topic in the Turkish architectural agenda of the period. Following the trajectory of this discourse, the study attempts to answer the following questions: What were the underlying causes that led the query for the redefinition of the social content of architecture, and the reconsideration of the moral obligations of the architects? For which reasons architects were encouraged to make an introverted criticism? What affected architects to seek for a radical occupational change in the conventional architectural practice? Focusing both on the Turkish and the international architectural debate, in the period comprised between the 1960s and the 1970s, this study aims to emphasize the notion of ‘user participation’ as a new tradition of thought developed within the socialist, left-wing architectural criticism. By challenging the authoritative practice of architecture, this phenomenon has addressed more equitable and democratic priorities in the generation of the space, particularly in the practices of housing. The attempt of the thesis is to pursue the rise of the ‘participatory design’ as a new architectural term which represents the consciousness of social responsibility, and to find out how Turkish architects were influenced/if influenced by their counterparts through transnational exchange of views. Eventually the thesis focuses on the re-evaluation of the ‘İzmit New Settlements Project’, an archetypal experiment to illustrate the changing dynamics in the Turkish architectural agenda. The proposed case study will investigate the presence of possible analogies with the international architectural debate. The ultimate aim of the re-evaluation of the ‘İzmit New Settlements Project’, is to enlighten its highly comprehensive program enabling the ‘user participation’ on a large scale, and to stress how it can be considered as a favorable alternative to the housing production policies for the low-income groups in Turkey, by featuring the revised complemental the dialogue between the architects, the society, and the political authorities.Item Open Access Claiming mosque space: women’s agency in mosque architecture in contemporary Turkey(Bilkent University, 2022-07) Şenel, AyşenurTraditionally, there has been an attribution of public spaces to males and private spaces of domesticity to females; moreover, mosques have been patriarchal spaces. Since the 90s, as both Islamism and feminism are on the rise, public places and topics on women’s roles have been reinterpreted. Under the power of an Islamist party, Turkey witnessed an increase in women’s role in mosque architecture in the last 20 years. Mosque projects that consider and welcome women are carried out, and women as mosque designers became visible. Unlike Islamist feminists’ debate around the world, in which the topic is on ‘women-only’, ‘gender-mixed’, and ‘women-focused/women-led’ mosques, in Turkey, the debate has been on the two genders sharing the same space. This research is an inquiry into the changing role of women and their relation to the production of mosque spaces, focusing on Turkey. Firstly, the research focuses on creating a theoretical framework and gives information on gender politics and Islamic space. Later, it looks into women as the agents; users of mosques where they appropriate the men’s space, and designers of mosques and their roles in relation to the authority in mosque architecture. Five different case studies by different female architects or designers are chosen in which they occupy various positions in the mosque design. Field research, observations, architectural analyses, and literature review are done; also, interviews are conducted with the architects. This research aims to contribute to feminist discourse with the inclusion of Muslim women and tries to understand women’s claim and their work on equality in the religious space.Item Open Access A classification matrix proposal for digital fabrication techniques in architecture(Bilkent University, 2018-11) Öztürk, SelenThis thesis investigates the relationship between digital fabrication techniques and the design constraints, such as function and materials, which are determined during architectural design processes by architects. This relationship is formulated through a matrix. Digital fabrication techniques are generally discussed upon and decided at the last step of a design process. This study roots from the idea that knowing which technique to use for fabrication affects the design process. In that sense, ‘according to which constraints which technique suits the design intention best’ should aid the designers. To propose a classification matrix two steps are practiced: first, as digital fabrication is a newly developing area, there are confusions, shifts, and overlaps of terminology among fabrication techniques; thus a simplification and classification in the terminology is needed. Such a classification is carried out in this thesis through recurrence tables based on a literature survey, the output of which constitutes the main column of the matrix. Secondly, a set of design constraints are determined by analyzing built projects, which are realized using specific digital fabrication techniques. This set of constraints establishes the columns of the matrix. The classification matrix aims to contribute both to educational and practical sides of architecture, proposing digital fabrication techniques to designers according to specific design constraints.Item Open Access Cognitive comparison of using hand sketching and parametric tools in the conceptual design phase(Bilkent University, 2018-11) Gürel, AdelWith the advancements in the digital design tools, designers have been provided with new methods and tools, which lead them to new ways of thinking. The speed and impact of the use of digital tools in architectural design have increased at an astonishing rate in the last decade. However, the use of such tools in the initial stages of design, the concept generation phase for instance, still seems to be under the influence of hand sketching. The potentials, affects and the evaluations of the use of digital tools in the early phases of design remain to be investigated. This thesis aims at examining the potentials of using parametric design tools in the conceptual design phase in comparison to hand sketching. It is intended to find out and evaluate the impacts of using parametric design tools on the cognitive behaviors of the designers, as well as assessing the satisfaction of the designers in using parametric tools in the early stages of design. Within this framework, an experimental study was conducted with three inexperienced and three experienced graduate architecture students using Grasshopper as the parametric design tool. A content-oriented coding scheme was used together with protocol analyses to collect the data. As a result of the research, significant differences were found between cognitive behaviors of the participants in using hand sketching and Grasshopper. Additionally, the findings show that all of the participants consider Grasshopper as a useful and important conceptual design tool. In line with these findings, this thesis suggests parametric modeling tools to be used more effectively in the architectural conceptual design phase.Item Open Access A coordinate system proposal for investigating the changing body-space relationship regarding interactivity(Bilkent University, 2019-06) Erdem, AslıWith the development of new technologies, architectural spaces begin to offer different spatial experiences compared to conventional buildings. Especially with the emergence of interactive architecture, cues of a significant change in architecture are put forth. These changes are expected to transform the body-space relationship people form with the spaces they inhabit. Even though people still spend most of their daily lives in static buildings, movement and interactivity are seem to be more prevalent features of architecture in the future, influencing the way people experience spaces. As such, it is essential to understand the outline of the newly emerging body-space relationship and its effects on users’ spatial engagement. In order to understand this changing relationship, this study firstly describes the traditional engagement categories; physical movement, mental movement and sensuality, which are used to define the relationship between users and architectural spaces. Under these three categories, parameters that influence the spatial engagement of users are defined based on a literature review. After that, a new engagement category, movement of architecture is proposed to show the effects of movement and interactivity in architecture. Novel engagement parameters are introduced under this category based on literature review and analyzing interactive examples. Using these four engagement categories, a coordinate system, called the PMSI, is introduced and this system is used to analyze spaces starting from static examples to highly interactive ones. As a result of these analyses, it is found that interactive spaces increase users’ spatial engagement compared to static spaces, in means of all four engagement categories and positively affect their body-space relationships.Item Open Access Cyberspace as a locus for urban collective memory(Bilkent University, 2013) Sak, SegahHowever salient the concept of cyberspace is, this study is an exploration of the relationship of people with their places. With a socio-spatial approach, this work sets forth a theoretical plexus between collective memory, cyberspace and urban space. This construction intrinsically relies on a conflation of associations and dynamics of memory, technology and place. Accordingly, the study explores analogies between cyberspace and memory, and between cyberspace and urban space. Merging qualities of the given concepts reveal that the cyberspace presents contemporary formations both of memory and of place. In the light of this premise, the study argues that cyberspace potentially constitutes an external urban collective memory and that it should be utilized to invent cyberplaces in this context. To understand the extent to which such potential is realized, a sample of the websites of existing location-based digital storytelling or oral history projects are investigated. To illustrate the means of projecting a cyberplace as a locus of urban collective memory, a model is established and a pilot website is created. Depending on the theoretical construction and the following propositions, a guideline for possible future implementations is generated. The intention is to bring cyberspace – the indispensible component of contemporary everyday life – to the light as a media that can be used to strengthen people’s relationship with cities rather than submitting our thought to the unavailing dystopia of digital culture.Item Open Access Deep reinforcement learning for urban modeling: morphogenesis simulation of self-organized settlements(Bilkent University, 2023-07) H'sain, Houssame EddineSelf-organized modes of urban growth could result in high-quality urban space and have notable benefits such as providing affordable housing and wider access to economic opportunities within cities. Modeling this non-linear, complex, and dynamic sequential urban aggregation process requires adaptive sequential decision-making. In this study, a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach is proposed to automatically learn these adaptive decision policies to generate self-organized settlements that maximize a certain performance objective. A framework to formulate the self-organized settlement morphogenesis problem as single-agent reinforcement learning (RL) environment is presented. This framework is then verified by developing three environments based on two cellular automata urban growth models and training RL agents using the Deep Q-learning (DQN) and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithms to learn sequential urban aggregation policies that maximize performance metrics within those environments. The agents consistently learn to sequentially grow the settlements while adapting their morphology to maximize performance, maintain right-of-way, and adapt to topographic constraints. The method proposed in this study can be used not only to model self-organized settlement growth based on preset performance objectives but also could be generalized to solve various single-agent sequential decision-making generative design problems.Item Open Access Design considerations in multipurpose space of preschool educational environments(Bilkent University, 1994) Özyurt, ElçinDesign requirements of preschool educational environments that support all aspects of child development are examined in this study. In order to determine the design criteria for preschool educational environments, the characteristics and the properties of early childhood are investigated. Additionally, educational philosophy and psychological influences of environment which affect the physical organization are stated. Within this framework, design considerations of preschool educational environments are discussed under the issues of activity places, alternative organizations, and items of furniture which build up the environment. Finally, general design criteria which are necessary for a comfortable education environment are pointed out.Item Open Access The effect of modular systems on spatial design and diversity: analysis through constructed modular buildings(Bilkent University, 2022-07) Sunsal, BelizModular systems are prefabricated building elements as a product of modern architecture. Compared to conventional methods, modular construction systems can find a place in many different projects with their two- and three-dimensional types, however, they have never become quite popular as an architectural design method. Modular systems, which offer various alternatives in terms of materials and construction methods, are produced as prefabricated; therefore, the problems that may arise during the construction phase and the time for on-site operations are minimized. In this sense, it significantly differs from other techniques in terms of time and work control and provides an advantage. However, modular systems could not provide the necessary place for themselves in the market, and their examples were limited to specific functions and locations. This thesis proposes an analysis method to investigate this problem, through examining the effect of modular systems on spatial design and diversity. In line with this target, this study examines the existing modular building examples worldwide through the number and the distribution of spaces generated, such as public-private zones, circulation areas, and bathrooms. When the relations of these areas with each other and the unit they are located in, are analyzed; it has been observed that the spatial design and diversity vary based on the number of utilized modules and the function of the project. When the shapes of the employed modules, indoor circulation, main entrance, private zones, and the relations of these areas with each other are compared with other examined projects, it is observed that the modular systems do not concentrate on a single type. Since a single type of unit does not have the vast majority, it has been concluded that modular systems have a high potential in terms of spatial diversity and design, they can be used in different projects and functions, but the spatial performance of curvilinear- or organic form-based modules and applicable examples in earthquake zones should also be examined in detail.Item Open Access Female experience of space: readings from two novels(Bilkent University, 2022-08) Erdoğan, İlknurThis thesis aims to reveal the spatial experience of Turkish women throughout time in the light of cultural and political changes in space and society through analysis of novels. The lived spaces are the loci of human beings and individuals’ everyday lives are staged in and around the lived space. The politics of gender difference is one of the most significant variables in one's experience and perception of space. Turkish context, having experienced multiple politics, regimes, and autonomous movements for women's liberation, provides a significant case for the research of gender-space relationships in various periods. By analyzing Hiçbiri (1921) by Suat Derviş and Kadının Adı Yok (1987) by Duygu Asena, the thesis attempts to highlight the multi-layered dimensions of the lived spaces with a feminist perspective. Two novels are chosen to depict the conditions in the first-wave feminist period at the end of the Ottoman Empire and the second-wave feminist period in the Turkish Republic after the 1980s. The research uses narrative analysis to enable a multi-disciplinary viewpoint combining the disciplines of architecture, literature, geography, and sociology. The analysis provides insight into spaces and demonstrations of women's everyday life, as well as into political and cultural influences on women's performance in public and private spaces. The main argument is that internalized socio-cultural norms, regulations and masculine control have an immense impact on women’s experience and perception of space even when the socio-political milieu implies progression in theory.
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