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Architectural and Urban Sustainability Discussed at the “Mimarlık Araştırmaları” Seminar Series

The “Mimarlık Araştırmaları” (Architectural Studies) seminar series organized by the Department of Architecture of Istanbul Medeniyet University provided an academic platform to discuss issues pertaining to architectural and urban sustainability.

The seminar series, in which the organizing committee was formed by Res. Asst. Furkan Eruçar, Res. Asst. Özge Gürsoy and Res. Asst. Nazife Sofu Bağ of the Department of Architecture, was held online between June and October 2021. The seminars were moderated by different faculty members of the Department of Architecture and studies on different topics were presented by seven researchers from different institutions.

Among the topics covered in the seminar series included subjects such as urban development, the increase in the urban population, the place of women in urban life, and the effects of urbanization on heritage areas discussed in four presentations. Dr. Sevcan Ercan Graham shared with the audience the concepts that are decisive in the development of Gökçeada in the last century, such as resettlement, immigration, and protection, through the architectural and space production processes experienced on the island. The development of Delhi city and the problems that arise in residential settlements were conveyed through the main factors affecting the formation of urban space in Delhi by Nazife Sofu Bağ. Bağ stated that Delhi, which is a privileged place with its social and spatial structure, has a rich historical and cultural diversity of three thousand years, as well as a dense urban population. In the study, it was reported that as a result of the city’s uncontrolled growth and rapid population growth over time, many slum areas were formed in the city and the people whose slums were destroyed were sent to resettlement areas. It was explained that the resulting diversity can be an indicator of economic inequality, that existing wealth can coexist with the completely opposite extreme poverty, and that such a deprivation can be experienced when everything is actually present. In her presentation, Özge Ceylin Yıldırım talked about the effects of natural risks such as floods and earthquakes and of human-induced risks brought about by developments such as urbanization and public infrastructure that natural and cultural heritage sites of universal value face. Yıldırım also emphasized that risk-oriented strategies should be developed in order to protect heritage sites and hand down heritage values to the future. In the presentation, how the concept of risk threatening heritage sites is handled in the context of international contemporary approaches was demonstrated through examples.

Sustainability, smart cities, smart buildings, and water management were also featured as the topics of some of the presentations delivered at the seminar. Furkan Eruçar presented a background for the emergence and historical development of the concepts of smart cities and smart buildings. In the presentation, he also mentioned the use of advanced technological systems such as water management systems, which are frequently used in smart buildings and provide a very high amount of savings, systems that increase the energy efficiency of lighting systems, which have an important place in terms of energy consumption today, and fire safety systems, which are perhaps the most important security issue in buildings. He gave examples of smart buildings benefiting from these advanced technological systems in different parts of the world. Eruçar also talked about the common and different aspects of smart buildings and sustainable buildings. Renewable energy, which is used jointly in both types, was discussed. In his presentation, Celal Yılmaz discussed the climatic water problems in Istanbul and the management requirements to overcome these problems. He discussed the importance of water planning in a city that is experiencing water scarcity, as well as water management methods in smart cities. The importance of hygiene in water management and the applicable techniques against water-borne diseases were also mentioned.

In the seminar series, the subject of environmental psychology was handled by Assoc. Prof. Emine Köseoğlu, who gave examples from the discipline which started to become systematized under the name “Environmental Psychology” in the 1960s. In the presentation, she discussed the effect of the environment on people within the framework of environmental psychology and highlighted the impact of architecture on health and well-being and the effects of space on individuals with a focus on positive psychological influences that could be achieved through space design.

At the end of the seminar series, the researchers who participated with their presentations were presented certificates for their contributions. The seminars attracted the attention of researchers and more than a hundred people participated in the series.

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