Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs (JCUA - Alanya Hamdullah Emin Paşa Üniversitesi)
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Multifunctionality of the oasis ecosystem. Case study: Biskra Oasis, Algeria
Get PDFThe oasis, this green and ecological entity of the desert, a promise of life and hope in a rather unfriendly environment, has been for a long time a beneficial basis for the ecosystem services provided to human beings, for its socio-economic and urban values, and also for its ecological value. Today many ideas and concepts are developed in the scientific literature to demonstrate the benefits derived from ecosystems, such as ecosystem services, multifunctionality, and ecosystem values. However, the analyses of multifunctionality or ecosystem services of the oasis lack from the scientific literature. This study uses a literature review and a prior assessment of the oasis ecosystem services in order to create a particular conceptual framework for the oasis in an attempt to create a toolbox of variables or indicators for the evaluation of ecosystem services in the particular case of a desert ecosystem, i.e., the oasis
Evaluation of Çanakkale Kilitbahir Castle in the Context of Refunctioning
Get PDFThe Dardanelles Strait functions as a bridge between Biga and Gelibolu peninsulas, connecting the Aegean Sea and the Marmara Sea. Many defences have been built on the Dardanelles Strait, which has hosted many civilizations from the past to the present day, in line with the needs of the time. Kilitbahir Castle, which has a three-leaf clover plan and is located on a slope rising on the Gallipoli peninsula in the narrowest part of the Bosphorus after the conquest of Istanbul by Mehmet the Conqueror; manifests itself as a pioneering structure of the military architecture of the era with the developing artillery technology. In terms of protecting the physical environment, it is observed that the defensive buildings which survived up to today are not adequately protected, losing their historical and architectural values. In this context, the restoration of Kilitbahir Castle dating back to Ottoman Period defence structures on the Dardanelles Strait was evaluated. Its phases throughout the process along with the current location and architecture were evaluated by using written and visual resources. European Archives, BNF Archives, Topkapi Palace Archives and Istanbul University Archives were utilized for reaching the castle engravings. In accordance with the information obtained in the historical research process, the exhibition arrangement and environment planning project of the structure, which serves as a museum, was prepared
A Lesson from Vernacular Architecture in Nigeria
No full textContemporary architecture has its roots from the vernacular. Every cultural group in the world has its own form of vernacular though the approach may vary from place to place and from people to people. Vernacular architecture has many values which are relevant to contemporary architecture today. This paper looks at vernacular architecture in Nigeria as practised by two ethnic groups who have varying climatic, religious and socio-cultural practices. The approaches to architecture by these two groups, i.e. the Hausas and Igbos, are looked at with the intention of finding positive values in the vernacular which can be applied to the contemporary. One of such values as seen in this paper is the harmony of traditional building materials with nature. Local building materials are able to meet housing needs without having a detrimental effect on the environment. More emphasis should therefore be given to local building materials in the building industry today. The paper concludes by stating that for contemporary architecture to adequately meet the needs of man today, vernacular values which apply to the cultural and climatic needs of such places should be selected and imbibed
The Presence of Modernist Architecture in Government’s educational Buildings at Lefkosa
No full textModernist architecture movement of the buildings in any city reflects the modernity of that city. Lefkosa as a modern city faced many conflicts in the last century. The governmental buildings illustrate how modernism in architecture was defined and reflected in the buildings of the city. The aim of this paper is to explore the modernism movement in architecture influence on educational governmental buildings in Lefkosa for the first half in the 20th century. The paper focuses on the ideas and experiences of modernist architects in the first half of the 20th century to apply modernism elements and relationship between architecture form and functionalism in governmental buildings. Methodology framework elucidated to conduct the subject. Two School buildings have been selected from the first half of the twentieth century in Lefkosa as case studies for modernist architecture. ‘Lefkosa türk lisesi’ designed by ‘Ahmet Vural Bahaedden’, which was one of the famous modernist architects in Cyprus and ‘sehit Ertugrul Ilkokulu’. The buildings architectural elements analyzed in both schools to demonstrate the relationship between site, interior space, functionality and environmental response, based on using their modern material and character. The paper concluded that the educational buildings hold strong elements of the modernist architecture in Lefkosa and demonstrate how the elements of modernism were involved functionally in the design. The findings contribute useful evidence about the existence of modernism philosophy in architecture in Lefkosa in the first half of the twentieth century
Some Notes about Architecture, Urbanism and Economy
No full textThe economy can be considered as the transversal component of human activities over territories. This fact can be observed from a diachronic perspective: the way how architectural typologies arose through history. But the relations between Economy and Architecture are not only established by the small scales but the larger ones. Cities and territories evolved from compact forms till spread ones in a parallel way to the arousal of the shopping areas. Urban sprawl could never be understood without these new typologies. The paper is based on the keynote speech was held in the International seminar “Economy today” last September 2017 in Andrigrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina). It is divided into two blocks: the first one relates to a general review of the historical reflections of this relation with a special mention to the consequences of an economic crisis either in the landscape or urban scales. The second part, partially included in the conclusions, reflects on the necessary changes in the university curriculums for better visualization of this relation. It would imply new attitudes able to explain most of the architectural processes as the formal result of a larger interaction
The effect of the binary space and social interaction in creating an actual context of understanding the traditional urban space
Get PDFUrban Space is not just a simple, physical configuration. Instead, it is a transformation of human experiences with the different synchronic architectural characteristic that needs a critical examination to segregate discrete layers of structural elements. As a result, the traditional urban space is a unique existence of reality; it is a product of prolonged interaction between society and architecture. Neglecting any part in the public space perception process is leading to crash the binary equation letting the meaning paralyzed without being able to represent any society or potentially keep the sense. There are many examples of worn-out urban spaces some of them was a result of ignorance and absent of realization of the interaction between Society and architecture.The Iraqi municipality demolished that relationship by importing different layers that are not compatible with the original one or as a result of inserting new means of technology in the heart of the historic cities. The other example from Erbil, a city north of Iraq, where the municipality determinable removed the old fabric to insert a well-defined rectangle space, somehow to create an urban public space, that procedure juxtaposed by form a barrier to isolate the old Souk from the other part of the old city. Both cities suffered from a misunderstanding of the urban binary equation between space and architecture as a tool to understand the context
Urbanization: Planting Forests in Pots
No full textTaking plants from their original habitat and keeping them in pots is an illustrative example of manmade, power-oriented and unnatural habitation. Naturally, a plant cannot survive in a segregated environment of a pot. For this reason, diverse supportive activities such as watering, feeding or protecting must be planned. These supplying infrastructures create a great power for the caretaker over the life of the potted plant. Using the example of potted plants, this article tries to shed light on the social and ecological problems of urbanization
The Use of Textile-Based Materials in Shell System Design in Architecture and an Evaluation in Terms of Sustainability
No full textThe textile that has emerged from dressing and protection need of people against the variable weather conditions since the primaeval ages, has gained performance characteristics with the rise of artificial fibres apart from natural fibre production and with increasing technology and has gained a good position in architectural applications. The application areas of the textile, that was traditionally used as gear, as an indoor element, and as upholstery on furniture, have been varied by emerge of smart and technical textile and its use in construction sector and architecture has been actualized. The main textile-based materials used on building and skin systems are Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (ETFE). Tent, pneumatic building, canopy, pleated roof, umbrella, parasol, outer curtain, shear wall and façade are structural use forms of textile materials. While the interactions between textile and architecture actualized in a visual sense, structure and for technology, and aesthetic sense, the use of textile with its sustainability in architecture also brings advantages. In the paper, Eden Project, Water cube, and Alliance Arena where textile-based materials are used are studied. It is seen that the textile material, which is easily applied at long-spans and at forms which cannot be handled with traditional materials, became prominent with its recycling and sustainable features
The Socio-cultural and ecological perspectives on landscape and gardening in Urban Environment: A narrative review
Get PDFThis review offers a perspective on the role landscape and gardening play in urban settings from a socio-cultural, and ecological dimension. The practice of cultivating in gardens, parks and vacant lots, creates community spaces, and are increasingly becoming important to peoples’ experience of social and cultural wellbeing. In recent times, this has become a major focus of research in ecology, agriculture, urban design, landscape architecture, human geography, and sociology. Community gardening is one of the avenues toward revitalizing urban environments, and it provides a way of addressing multi-faceted urban problems ranging from limited food access to safety and community cohesion. That being said, it is necessary to continually evaluate the roles which society, ecology, and culture play in cities and landscape planning due to the dynamic nature of culture. This article aims to bring to the fore, the various factors of landscape and gardening practices in cities and the dynamics of cultural and ecological effects they have in building communities, reclaiming communities or engendering a personal place to thrive. A narrative review of the literature on peer-reviewed articles within the scope of the study was adopted as the research method
The Role of Advance Composite material In Contemporary Buildings
Get PDFComposite materials have been used from the earliest times, from wood, which is a naturally occurring composite of lignin and cellulose, through straw reinforced clay bricks to reinforced concrete. In the 20th century, a new breed of composite materials was developed using polymer matrices with high-performance reinforcement fibres. The great effect and uncompromising properties of advance composite materials have enabled the emergence of composites cut across all fields of application and all areas of work, just to mention a few aeronautic engineering, automobile engineering, and medicine, military and building construction. Therefore, with emphasis on building construction, advance composite material has played a vital role in today’s contemporary building construction method, by presenting its self as an alternative building construction material, its application has made the contemporary building construction much more flexible and achievable, compared to traditional building materials and its methods of construction. It further offers the building construction industry the technical know-how of having new possibilities of design styles, shapes and forms. Therefore, advance composite material proves it’s self to be a better and a new alternative building construction material that remains construction friendly and flexible based on its properties. This study, therefore, tends to provide an overview of advance composite material, its application as well as its role in today’s contemporary building