HUMAN FACTORS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

The objective of the course is to understand the need to integrate user requirements and activities into building design processes.  Diversity of needs, values, behavioral norms, and social and spatial patterns that characterize different cultures are examined. The implications of this diversity for the societal roles and responsibilities of architects are also considered. Useful tools to identify whether the building delivers desired functional use and best value for the investment is evaluated.

SPACE, PLACE AND PLACE – MAKING

The main aim is to find out the appropriate approach or method of creating a successful urban public space in cities. In this way, two principal objectives to this main purport were formulated, which includes, finding out what are the general and specific characteristics of urban public space in cities, and secondly; to define particular approaches for place-making in the creation of successful places in cities. In correlation with the main objectives of this research, two independent or major question are unfold: What should be the strategies for Place Making? How could Place Making improve the quality of urban public space in cities? The objective of this course is to provide knowledge on the Place-Making in Architecture and Urban Design. The course gives the basic information of dimensions of “place”. The process of making a place out of an urban lost space or “Place-Making” in the cities needs more than dimensions. Which involves some “key attributes” of place despite of physical appearances of place.

Biological Analogy in Architectural Design

This course aims to provide further knowledge about the design philosophy and theory by focusing upon the above issues:
. Philosophical and theoretical basis of biological analogy;
. Organic, ecological and Darwinian analogies;
. Exploration of bio-mimetic design principles;
. Biotechnics and methodology of product design;
. The interpretation of form from biology;
. Lessons from the natural world for sustainable building solutions;
. Samples related biological analogy in the History of Architecture;
. Contemporary samples that based on biological analogy;
. Most recent developments and future prospects of biological analogy in architecture

Graduate Studio I

Constructing the conceptual and theoretical framework of research or of architectural design problem. Evaluation of the theoretical context of the interested disciplines such as history, environment, economy, technology, social sciences, psychology etc. Transformation of these data into architectural knowledge, Interpretation and presentation of these context in an architectural design problem. Case studies of spaces and places will be undertaken and the understanding of architecture through structural, constructional, sociological and environmental determinants will be developed.

Graduate Studio II

The course is the continuation of Graduate Studio I and is to intensify the understanding of the conceptual and theoretical framework of research regarding the evaluation of the theoretical context of the interested disciplines such as history, environment, economy, technology, social sciences, psychology etc.

Introduction to Architectural Research


The objective of the course is to make students define, plan, execute and complete a research project, and understand the basic principles of scientific investigation and the architectural research process. Students will become familiar with alternative research strategies and a wide range of research methods in architectural researches from the simplest techniques to the complicated ones. This course will enable students to gain the skill of transforming a problem into a research problem, of discussing it and of preparing it as a report. While students designing their own research, they will comprehend fundamental characteristics of various data collecting and analyzing methods/techniques, critically assess their strengths and weakness, select and use them.

Master Thesis

Master Thesis

Traditional Building Elements and Construction Techniques

The objective of the course is to lend students analytical vision in understanding the behavior of structural components and identify the related problems frequently met in historic buildings. Non-destructive test techniques in the diagnosis of structural failures designed for ones other than visible problems are also introduced. Together with their problems, various types of construction techniques from different historic periods mainly in Europe and Anatolia are introduced and basic intervention methods and repair materials are discussed in the light of restoration principles. Students are asked to submit assignments and prepare a seminar presentation on topics determined at the beginning of the semester.