bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warming-Up Exercises in Support of Open Building Education
Authors: Kendall Stephen
Published: January 2021

Teaching students of architecture an open building way of designing in a studio setting can be fruitful. To be even more fruitful, however, “warming - up” exercises are useful, but take time to do properly and are not an easy fit in the studio setting. This paper offers some examples of both open building studio projects and “warming-up” exercises given in the studio setting. It also offers comments on lessons learned over the years in teaching in such a way in architectural studios and argues for the development of courses specifically focused on “warming-up” design exercises, not only in support of open building but more generally. These may be most helpful if offered outside but supportive of the design studio. But such opportunities are rare, because “design skill” courses do not exist in architectural curricula.
Editorial
Authors: Al-Qawasmi Jamal , Hadjri Karim
Published: January 2021

The influence of digital media and information technology on architecture is increasingly evident. Architectural design, practice, fabrication and construction are increasingly aided by and dependent on digital technology. The proliferation of computers and telecomputing in design education and practice has resulted in a major paradigm shift and a reorientation in theoretical and conceptual assumptions considered to be central to traditional design education and practice.
A Computational Architectural Design Model Based on Fractals
Authors: Ediz Özgür , Çağdaş Gülen
Published: January 2021

Digital design technologies play a significant role in assisting the designer through conceptual architectural design. Computer supported design systems can generate various images at the early design phase and can contribute to seeking alternative architectural forms. Currently, different design approaches are being employed in the formation of architectural products. Examples of architecture that produce unusual forms are often encountered within unique conceptual approaches. The development of new design examples is supported by the digital production of forms, and three-dimensional models through varying geometric approaches. In this study, a design approach that uses computer aided architectural design to produce architectural forms will be suggested. This approach utilizes principles existing in the unique fractal dimension of elements based on a vocabulary relevant to a specific architectural language. By relying on the fractal dimension and features of an existing architectural pattern, this generative design approach supports creativity in the production of new forms. The proposed approach is evaluated as a creative tool in architectural design. The subject of architecture; buildings, spaces, surroundings, symbols of that particular society are also the elements of a meta-language which creates a fractal geometry based relation. It is possible to analyse this relation through a fractal geometry-based principle. In short, a fractal geometrical generative method is suggested. Also, recently-surfaced discussions about "Chaos Theory" and its effects on the design process via "Chaos and Self - Similarity" are studied. The significance of these different phenomena and disciplines upon architectural design are also studied for developing a possible creative tool.
The Destruction of Participation
Authors: Weizman Ines
Published: January 2021

This article describes a current dilemma of urban planning in cities of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). The process of demographic shrinking, and the increasing growth of the more privileged to suburbia since the early 1990s had dramatic consequences, especially on cities with large-scale settlements (Großsiedlungen) that once had been built especially for sites based on heavy industries. This paper argues that far from the banal, grey and depressing stigma attached to them at present, some of these housing projects, particularly the one for Leipzig-Grünau represented one of the most enthusiastic experiments to realise societal utopias. The study looks particularly at the role of residents' participation in the success and development of their estate. However, at the moment when buildings are being demolished public participation in determining the fate of their urban environment, seems futile and redundant. These often random and short-sighted demolitions undermine the housing estates' cohesiveness, which in turn helps to dilute the residents' sense of pride and privilege. It seems almost as though population ‘shrinking’ was part of a plan to re-appropriate the city by erasing the ‘unfamiliar’ fabric of a competing ideology. The paper investigates how this process is played out, what form it takes and how the configuration and coherence of the urban fabric is affected by a complicated sequence of chain reactions which degrade the attractiveness of the area to such a degree that demolition appears as the only possible solution. An intentional cultural-political policy of de-familiarisation takes place and demolition is made to appear all but unavoidable.
Contemporary Initiatives in Participatory Art and Architecture Practice
Authors: Khonsari Torange
Published: January 2021

Recently in the fluid space between Art and Architecture new innovative projects have emerged using informal and playful forms of social engagement to facilitate community led design. This paper shows the difference between a participatory project commissioned within the arts and a participatory project commissioned within architecture. Two projects carried out by the practice of public works will be explained to show how art and architecture working together can reach beyond temporary social events to support community led projects in the medium to long term. The first project ‘Lay-out’ commissioned by Gasworks Gallery was a residency over a 3-month period, which examined how the gallery is perceived and used by its audiences. The second project shows work with the residents of two housing estates, Braithwaite House and Quaker Court in Bunhill Row - Old street - London. The project was derived from the public realm strategy for EC1, commissioned by EC1 New Deal for Communities and was to create an active public and social space to be shared by two rather conflicting communities.
Book Reviews
Authors: Hürol Yonca
Published: January 2021

Beyond Sshelter; Anatolian Indigenous Buildings
Community Strategies for Energy Efficiency Successful Examples from Austria
Authors: Strassl Inge
Published: January 2021

The responsible politician for environment in Vorarlberg spoke at the Energy Gala in November 2002 in Bregenz and said: “It is necessary not only to discuss central regulations but to invest more in decentralised actions”. The communities are central players in this field because they can act in various ways: as authority, owner of buildings and as motivator for the people.

Two examples of strategies in Austria are introduced:

e5 - program for energy efficient communities (congruent to the European Energy Award)

This program supports communities with high ambitions on energy and sustainability. The program helps to give structure, tools and a quality insurance system, so that even smaller communities can act in a professional and efficient way. Additionally it is a labelling and awarding system, which is quite important because a lot of work in the communities happens voluntarily and it is important to give approval to these actors.

Energy point system in housing subsidies

In the federal state of Salzburg the energy point system is a subsidy system for energy-saving measures and the use of renewable energy in housing.

Quality points are given, depending on the energetic and ecological quality of a building. Every point increases the subvention that is granted by the government of the federal state Salzburg. Additional points exist, for example, for the use of biomass, solar energy and controlled living space ventilation. Using this simple system, the quality of sponsored housing was increased significantly and the use of renewable energies was successfully introduced into social housing. Today more than 80% of the residential buildings in Salzburg are heated by biomass and more than 60% of the buildings are using solar energy for hot water and heating.
Editorial Evaluation - Henk Visscher
Authors: Visscher Henk
Published: January 2021

From whatever perspective we look upon the sustainability and health quality of housing, the quality improvement of the housing stock will be of major importance. To achieve the goals of reduction of fossil energy use, large scale refurbishments programs will have to be carried out. This goes together with the necessity to prevent the ageing stock from deterioration and to improve the physical quality of neighborhoods and dwellings for livability reasons.
Architectural Continuity Towards Cultural Sustainability in Bodrum
Authors: Ayıran Nezih
Published: January 2021

Mediterranean architecture is considered the predecessor of the modern concept of “bioclimatic” sustainable design due to its climate reactive attitude (Coch H. 1996, Vissilia, A.M. 2009). Another aspect which renders it to be associated with the notion of modern sustainability is the employment of recyclable materials such as natural stone and wood. The vernacular architecture of Bodrum peninsula located in southwestern Turkey bears the typical characteristics of Mediterranean architecture. Since the 1970s, Bodrum has been attracting the attention of local and foreign tourists. The “architectural pollution” created by tourism facilities paradoxically devastates the natural and unique architectural characteristics of Bodrum which attract the attention of tourists. In this article, the primary focus will be the residential architecture in Bodrum due to its quite dominant typology among tourism facilities. However, the local building regulations aiming to protect natural values and architectural identity and the sensitive attitudes of some architects about preserving architectural identity and visual ecology can be considered positive aspects with regards to the harmonious architectural development of the region. Visual ecology seems generally more vital than biophysical ecology in terms of sustainable tourism economy, and tourism, is the most important sector in Bodrum. In a touristic region such as Bodrum, cultural and economic sustainability are interrelated. Today, research related to sustainability focuses primarily on energy saving and relevant technological inventions and as a result, issues such as cultural expression, contextual connection, identity formation, local differences and changes do not get their deserved places in the sustainability value setting. This paper aims to detect some clues about the outline of the residential architecture within the context of cultural sustainability in Bodrum in the light of residential architecture samples.
Book Review
Authors: Hürol Yonca
Published: January 2021

CLIMATE CHANGE ETHICS – Navigating the Perfect Moral Storm
Book Review
Authors: Gunce Kagan
Published: January 2021

Large Housing Estates: Ideas, Rise, Fall and Recovery.
Using Metaphor and Analogy for Understanding Structural Concepts in Architectural Education; an Iranian Perspective
Authors: Hadian Amir Sasan
Published: January 2021

By using two cognitive tools, metaphors and analogies, structural concepts can be made more observable and touchable for architects. These tools can help architects and designers to physically demonstrate structural concepts for better understanding. Since familiarity with the structural concepts is imperative for architects, it is important to determine the extent in which architects sharpen and solidify their understanding of structural concept using two very valuable cognitive tools, metaphors and analogies. Although in recent years, the number of studies focusing on the usage of metaphor and analogy was on the rise, very few works have included views and opinions of correspondent users in the architectural domain. Furthermore, having both metaphor and analogy under one investigation could help the researcher to see which one, metaphor or analogy, professional architects prefer to use more and which one of them architects use in various stages in their design process. In this regard, purposive sampling was applied to collect the data from ten professional Iranian architects who had the experience of working in this domain for more than 10 years. The participants of this study went through a semi-structured interview and their reports were analysed qualitatively. The findings reveal that while designing, Iranian professional architects do not have any preferences because they can equally apply both metaphors and analogies, but when dealing with their students in academic setting, using metaphor as a cognitive tool can lead to better results. Furthermore, Iranian architects use metaphor more in the initial stages of the architectural design process because according to them this physiognomic perception enhance understanding of a design situation and stimulate creative solutions to the problem at hand. Conversely, analogy is mainly used in the concept generation phase.
Architectural Education and Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area: Design Research as a Plea for Academic Freedom
Authors: Pauwels Sigrid , Walsche Johan De , Declerck Dra. Lies
Published: January 2021

The authors reflect on the academic bachelor and master programs of architecture. From the perspective of higher education policy in Flanders, Belgium, they examine the intrinsic challenges of the academic educational setting, and the way architectural education can fit in and benefit from it, without losing its specific design oriented qualities. Therefore, they unravel the process of architectural design research, as a discipline-authentic way of knowledge production, leading to the identification of a number of implicit features of an academic architectural learning environment. The disquisition is based on educational arguments pointed out by literature and theory. Furthermore, the authors analyze whether this learning environment can comply with general standards of external quality assurance and accreditation systems. Doing so, they reveal the Achilles’ heel of architectural education: the incompatibility of the design jury with formalized assessment frameworks. Finally, the authors conclude with an advocacy for academic freedom. To assure the quality of academic architectural programs, it is necessary that universities maintain a critical attitude towards standardized policy frameworks.
Unsettling Modernity: Shifting Values and Changing Housing Styles in the Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Bhattarai-Upadhyay Vibha , Sengupta Urmi
Published: January 2021

Culture has always been important for the character of the cities, as have the civic and public institutions that sustain a lifestyle and provide an identity. Substantial evidence of the unique historical, urban civilisation remains within the traditional settlements in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, manifested in houses, palaces, temples, rest houses, open spaces, festivals, rituals, customs and cultural institutions. Indigenous knowledge and practices prescribed the arrangement of houses, roads, and urban spaces giving the city a distinctive physical form, character, and a unique oriental nativeness. In a technical sense, these societies did not have written rules for guiding development. In recent decades, the urban culture of the city has been changing with the forces of urbanisation and globalisation and the demand for new buildings and spaces. New residential design is increasingly dominated by distinctive patterns of Western suburban ideal comprising detached or semi-detached homes and high rise tower blocks. This architectural iconoclasm can be construed as a rather crude response to the indigenous culture and built form. The paper attempts to dismantle the current tension between traditional and contemporary ‘culture’ (and hence society) and housing (or built form) in the Kathmandu Valley by engaging in a discussion that cuts across space, time, and meaning of architecture as we know it.
Editorial
Authors: Hurol Yonca
Published: January 2021

The articles which take place within this issue cover various subjects of architecture. There are articles about different type of houses, urban issues, climatic issues, a historical building type and sustainable construction.
A Study of the Relationships Between Urban Development and Environmental Quality
Authors: Jang Chyi-Lu , Hsiao Luke H.C. , Yeh Shang-Pao
Published: January 2021

A fundamental change in the planning and delivery of new housing projects has taken place in the last years, with the focus shifting towards adding value to projects based on a better understanding of housing preferences. This issue becomes even more critical when it is intended to the provision of affordable houses for low and middle income groups. This paper describes a model designed to help developers and housing users to achieve their expectations regarding quality, affordability and including also reasonable profits. Developed through a “methodological pluralism”, this study identifies people-oriented variables and assumptions. The model was developed based on a case study in the city of Guayaquil-Ecuador, and information obtained from field work research was used to test it. The study examines implications and limitations of the model for inclusion of housing preferences considering local conditions and cultural values. The different parts of the model along with data requirements for each part are described. The paper concludes with findings regarding the identification of most preferred attributes by housing users and the use of alternatives methods to incorporate additional value into projects, translated into more appealing profits for developers and the provision of better and more affordable houses for users.
The Lateral Conflict of Urban Planning in Damascus
Authors: Harastani Nour , Hanna Edwar
Published: January 2021

With no fund in the horizon for large-scale reconstruction in Syria due to the absence of any political deal, the Syrian government has been designing and implementing neoliberal reconstruction policies that are socially unjust, economically exclusive and politically driven.

The focus of this paper is on the latest urban policies that have been set regarding reconstruction since 2011, such as Decree 66/2012 and Law 10/2018. It also looks at the extent these legislations are negatively affecting Syrian citizens and cities. The paper explores the impact of the current reconstruction policies on the Syrian citizens starting from removing people from their home without adequately compensate them, dispossessing people of property rights, advancing the agenda of external ‘developers' and in many other ways showcasing the mentality of leveraging urban reconstruction as a powerful political tool in the conflict.
Post-War Re-Settlements in Varosha: Paradise to Ghetto
Authors: Arsoy Aysu , Basarir Hacer
Published: January 2021

Varosha (Famagusta) was one of the richest districts, and best known holiday destination of the region during the 1970's. However, due to the war in 1974, half of Varosha was closed to residents and the other half became a bordered city. The demographic structure, in addition to the physical and cultural structures of the city was therefore completely altered. Postwar displacement and re-settlement in Varosha is the focus of this paper.

The main aim is to discuss the lifestyle in Varosha from a cultural perspective using memories from former and current inhabitants. To achieve this, a set of semi-structured interviews were conducted in which two main questions were posed during the interviews: 1) What was the lifestyle in Varosha before 1974? and 2) What was the lifestyle in Varosha after 1974? these questions were intended to shed some light on the post-war landscape of Varosha.

For this purpose, researchers followed a chronological order: life before 1974; interview group a, six Greek Cypriots who were former inhabitants of Varosha. Life after 1974: interview group B, six turkish Cypriots who were displaced and settled in Varosha; and interview group C, six immigrant/settlers turks from turkey, who volunteered to move to Cyprus and settle in Varosha. The snowball method has been used to identify former and current residents of Varosha. The findings are based on interviews with the former, displaced and re-settled Varoshian residents.

The interviews revealed how displacement affected the city and the former and current inhabitants. Analysis of the findings were categorized under three headings: 1) displacement from/to Varosha; 2) belonging and identity; 3) life style and culture of each group. The categorization is used to describe how displacement affected the city and its citizens. In other words, this research targets to describe pre- and post-war life (styles) in Varosha.
Education in Conflict: Postwar School Buildings of Cyprus
Authors: Aydınlık Sevil , Pulhan Hıfsiye
Published: January 2021

The terms cyprus, conflict, crisis and war have been almost inextricably intertwined throughout the history of this Mediterranean island. The education system played an important role socially and school buildings played an important role visually first in the dissemination of nationalism when the ethno-nationalist movements within the turkish and greek-cypriot communities increased dramatically under British colonial rule (1878-1960), and later in the dissemination of internationalism in the mid-twentieth century. Despite the increased conflict and nationalism, which was reflected by neo-greek architectural elements, the striking impact of the international style turned school buildings into representations of the communities' attitudes towards modernism. By the mid-1940s these attitudes towards modernism also served as a latent way for communities' identity struggles and for the sovereignty of each community to exist. After world war ii the style embodied by many school buildings conveyed science-based modern thought; modernization attempts for political, economic and social reforms; and the strong commitment of the first modernist cypriot architects to the spirit of the time and the philosophy of the modern. Under this scope, postwar school buildings in cyprus are identified as unique artifacts transformed from an ‘ethnicity-based' image into an ‘environment-based' form that is more associated with the modernization, decolonization and nation-building processes from which local nuances of mainstream modernism emerged. At this point the modernization process of the state, identity struggles of the communities and architects' modernist attempts could be interpreted as providing a fertile ground for new social and architectural experiments, and could answer questions about how postwar school architecture managed to avoid reference to historical, ethnic and religious identities when there was an intentional exacerbation of hostility between the two ethnic communities and about school buildings predominantly followed principles of the international style even though both the greek and turkish-cypriot education systems were instrumental in strengthening local nationalisms and even ethnic tensions.
Design as Exploration: An Integrative Model
Authors: Fernando Nisha A.
Published: January 2021

This paper presents an example of a pedagogical model based on combining knowledge and creativity and how the model was applied to teach an upper-level undergraduate studio in an interior architecture program. The model is established on the conceptual paradigm that the design process is more crucial than the final design products in a studio learning experience. Diverting from the normative approaches and instilled by environment-behavior research, the studio projects are based on both a knowledge/thought-building process and a design/idea-building process. Students involve in a research project to collect information on the user preferences and then translate the information into design concepts on which they build the final design. The systematic phases of the design process expose students to recognize that design decisions are not made randomly or as expressions of self, but rather as carefully thought out responses to socio-cultural needs of people. The model enables students to generate socially and culturally sensitive design ideas and to think outside of the ‘architecture-as-art’ box.
Integrating Social Science Research into Studio Teaching: Housing New Immigrants
Authors: Hadjiyanni Tasoulla
Published: January 2021

Armed with an understanding of cultural differences in housing needs, designers can develop residential prototypes that accommodate diverse values and ways of living. Culturally sensitive designs ease the adjustment process of new immigrant groups and contribute to the well-being of communities and the country as a whole. Responding to multiculturalism, design education must prepare graduates for cross-cultural practice by engaging them in the consideration of cultural differences. The paper presents the example of two upper level undergraduate studios, taught in Spring 2002 and Fall 2003 in the Department of Architecture at the University of Minnesota, that exposed students to the design process through the exploration of cultural differences in housing design. Undertaken by an instructor trained in both architecture and social science, these studios integrated social science research into the teaching of design. The projects explored culturally sensitive housing for Hmong and Somali refugees, two of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area's largest new immigrant groups. Students used verbal narratives collected through focused interviews with members of the Hmong and Somali communities living in the Twin Cities metropolitan area to define both the programmatic and conceptual stages of their designs. The paper elaborates on the theoretical framework that guided students' inquiries; states the methodology and process used to accomplish the research within the constraints of a semester; and outlines the challenges and opportunities afforded through this teaching technique. By focusing on the research phase of these studios, the paper hopes to inspire further development of pedagogies that cater to the changing demographics and respond to cultural differences.
Temporary Space - Permanent Knowledge
Authors: Haase Jeffrey
Published: January 2021

This paper describes a studio model that attempts to bridge the gap between conventional design studio settings and professional practice, by adopting design-build principles that incorporate experiential learning theory, derived from the early research of Dewey, Lewin, and Piaget. Part of the dichotomy of the profession is the dynamic difference in the established representational tools of the trade and the result of the built environment. This disconnect exists because the tools of the trade utilize two dimensional explanations about a three dimensional place, typically comprised of drawings in the form of plans, elevations, and perspectives. Additionally, there is a dynamic difference in scale that exists between these tools and the environments they represent. Thus, design educators tend to teach representational techniques without teaching a clear understanding of what they represent. This gap in education creates a gap in the profession. The described case studies outline an alternative studio model that is intended to introduce some of the “realities” often missing in a conventional studio approach. Each of the case studies involved second year Interior Design students, who were given the parameters of an existing space with specific user needs. The students had to design and then physically construct that interior environment all within a ten week time period (one academic quarter). By creating a more “hands-on” learning environment, it is the hope that students retain that knowledge in a more meaningful and lasting way, with the ability to transfer that experience over to similar situations in other studio settings and within the professional practice.
The Urban Design Discourse and Professional Divide
Authors: Kashef Mohamad
Published: January 2021

This study examines the strands of thought that define the urban design discourse today. One of the common and primary urban design approaches developed an understanding of the visual, perceptual, and psychological dynamics underlying human behavior in urban areas. It associated urban design with the visual characteristics of built forms and their impact on people's perceptions and ability to create clear mental maps or images of their surroundings. Another approach emphasized historical, typological, social, and morphological aspects of built forms. It linked successful urban spaces with mixed-use, traditional urban models and advanced place-making principles that encourage spatially defined, legible, and culturally grounded built environments. Lately, there has been an increased debate about the potential of developing an all-encompassing, holistic urban design approach that synthesizes prior urban design approaches and is predicated on the premise that urban design is an interdisciplinary activity concerned with creating livable/sustainable built environments. However, dialogues with architects, landscape architects, and planners revealed an entrenched professional divide among urban design practitioners based on their educational backgrounds and subsequent experiences. This study is premised on the need to address the contradictory views about the city in design and planning educational curricula in order to bridge the intellectual divide and build a holistic or interdisciplinary urban design approach.
Low Eenergy and Sustainable Housing in the Uk and Germany
Authors: Morbitzer Christoph
Published: January 2021

This article reviews the development of low energy and sustainable housing in the UK and Germany. It illustrates that despite their close geographical proximity substantially different approaches have been applied in the two countries in the pursuit of an energy efficient, domestic built environment.

The article describes and compares the German Passivhaus and the UK Code for Sustainable Homes, both important drivers for low energy housing. It also relates them to two project examples, the ‘Energieautarkes Haus’ (energy independent house) in Freiburg and the BeDZED project near London.

A main conclusion from the article is that Germany has developed with the Passivhaus a design concept that holds a considerable potential to reduce the energy consumption of the UK housing sector, and points out the surprisingly limited uptake so far. It however also emphasises the ability of the UK to apply a holistic building design approach, and points out that the UK has developed with BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes a framework that directs the flow of activity in the pursue of buildings with a low environmental impact.

Finally, the article emphasises the need for better collaboration between different countries.
Editorial
Authors: Datta Ayona
Published: January 2021

The dynamics of globalisation as the increasing interconnectedness between all aspects of social, cultural, economic, and political spaces have seen an unprecedented focus on migrants across the world. Far less discussed though has been the connections between spaces and places during migration - how conceptualisations of proximity/distance, inside/outside; native/migrant; past/present; memories/experiences produce and shape buildings, streets, and urban environments. While it is suggested that the unprecedented movement of people in a globalising world will be particularly significant for cities and urban life, it is also argued that such movement has led to a problematisation of ‘home’ as a particular type of built form in a physical location. This special issue is therefore interested in making the links between three important processes in a globalising world-home, migration, and the city - and their significance for built forms and built environments across the world.
Migrant Housing in the City and the Village: from Melbourne to Zavoj
Authors: Lozanovska Mirjana
Published: January 2021

This paper will discuss the kinds of communities that evolve through historical practices of migration. The migrant house is associated with a new architecture that had appeared in the cities of immigration of the new worlds (Melbourne, Toronto, Chicago). It is perceived as a stereotypical symbolisation of immigrants from Southern European origins that had arrived in the decades following the Second World War. The appearance of houses built by returning migrants in sites of origin suggests other trajectories, other modes of travel, and other forms of community. Central to the thesis of this paper is the testimony of two types of migrant houses. The study draws on theories of migration that address the site of departure, the site of arrival, and the question and conflict of return which is at the centre of the migrant's imaginary. This study will examine the migrant houses in the village of emigration (Zavoj in Macedonia), migrant houses built by returning emigrants. A study of the two houses of migration implicates a set of networks, forces, relations, circumscribing a large global geopolitical and cultural field that questions our understandings of diaspora, the binary structure of dwelling/travelling, and the fabric and fabrication of community. In addition, the paper will explore the notion of house as an imaginary landscape, a psychic geography narrated through migratory travels.
Home is Where the Heart Abides Migration, return and housing in Dakar, Senegal
Authors: Sinatti Guilia
Published: January 2021

The increased interconnectedness and possibilities for travel and communication that characterise the current, global age have strongly affected scholarly ways of understanding contemporary forms of identification and belonging. Literature on the subject strongly challenges the notion of home as a fixed place, particularly where migration is concerned. The case study of Senegalese migration, however, contrasts this argument. Based upon ethnographic research and in depth interviews with migrants conducted in Senegal and in Italy between 2004 and 2007, this article shows that for many Senegalese the ultimate home still remains strongly identified with the country of origin. Questioned on the issue at stake, Senegalese migrants unanimously express the eventual goal of return to the home-land. The perceived importance of an anchorage in Senegal is expressed even more strikingly than in words, in the practices of migrant investment in housing. Migrants invest massively in the home country, significantly altering the landscape of local cities. This article shows that the intensity and features of construction activities undertaken by migrants in the capital city of Dakar are provoking a veritable process of urban makeover, which is transforming the physiognomy of the built environment. Alongside transforming the landscape of many peripheral neighbourhoods by altering mainstream architectural features of buildings and importing Western styles and taste in local construction practices, migrants are also contributing towards the creation of new symbols of success.
Interaction Between Design Studio and Curriculum Courses: Bilkent University Case
Authors: Turkkan Elif E. , Basa Inci , Gurel Meltem O.
Published: January 2021

A major aim of the design studio is to educate students to be well-equipped designers. To do so, a student should be able to grasp the divergent information of various courses and integrate that knowledge into their design problems. But are students aware of the emphasis placed on incorporating different curriculum courses into the design studio? Do they find it beneficial while developing a design project? To what extent do they think this integration has an impact on their success in the design studio and in their adaptation to professional practice? This paper seeks to find out whether the integration between the design studio and other curriculum courses is productive from students' perspectives and determine if there is a consensus between students and instructors on the significance of transferring knowledge from curriculum courses to design projects. In addition, the paper examines the position of the design studio as an integrative medium between education and practice in the Turkish context.
Means End Chain, Person Environment Congruence and Mass Housing Design
Authors: Jusan Mahmud Bin Mohd
Published: January 2021

Meeting human needs is considered as fundamental to sustainable human settlement. However, in micro level developments particularly in respect of a housing unit, for example, an operational definition of sustainability which will be useful in its practical implementation, has yet to be developed. To address this, the author posits that theories on the relationship between the environment and the person can be taken as a conceptual frame of reference. One of them is the theory of Person-Environment Congruence (PEC). This theory conceptualizes “congruence” as the favourable outcome of the person-environment relationship. Achieving PEC is considered as the most important criteria that supports the concept of housing sustainability. In the context of housing, the author considers that PEC is achieved when the dwelling place can offer its inhabitants a place which meets their basic needs. In order to operationalize this concept in terms of housing unit design, the author propagates the use of the Means-End Chain (MEC) research model to explore the relationship between a person and his or her environment. The combination of the two concepts facilitates the identification of those housing attributes emphasized in the home-making process, together with the users' perceptual orientation towards those attributes. To experiment with the application of the MEC research model in respect of exploring the concept of PEC, a case study was conducted on 15 renovated and personalized houses in a mass housing scheme in Malaysia. The traditional MEC methods were maintained with some modifications to accommodate the various housing characteristics. The results suggest that the MEC research model is able to link the relevant housing unit attributes to user values, and it is potentially applicable in the design of a housing unit. The results also indicated that user participation is essential in home making process, in order to achieve and maintain sustainability.
Editorial
Authors: Wilkinson Nicholas
Published: January 2021

Avı Friedman's new book, DECISION MAKING FOR FLEXIBILITY IN HOUSING has much going for it. The main arguments and objectives are set out here in this manuscript which opens with a short introduction whose first sentence is “narrow houses were a product of necessity”. It goes on to cover facets of his work in this area on construction technologies, and materials arguing also for higher density living. He succinctly makes a case for the narrow frontage town house derived out of the concerns related to environmental and socio-economic issues. Sustainability, among other key factors, recieves full attention making this book and manuscript worthwhile having on your bookshelf and in your University library.(page 6)
Abandoned Housing Project: Assessment On Resident Satisfaction Toward Building Quality
Authors: Sulaiman Zamharira , Ali Azlan Shah , Ahmad Faizah
Published: January 2021

Abandoned buildings which are exposed to weather and human threat may lead to deterioration in building quality. Indirectly, the buyer is not satisfied when the abandoned buildings is completed and occupied. This study seeks to assess residents' satisfaction towards residential building quality which was abandoned. This research combined quantitative and qualitative methods. Respondents are randomly selected based on reports and information obtained through the Ministry Housing and Local Government (MHLG) and Local Authority (LA). Subsequently thirty (30) housing projects were selected to answer the questionnaires. Based on thirty (30) housing projects which have been completed, only three (3) housing projects ranged between six (6) months to two (2) years and have been occupied by the buyers. A total of ten (10) developers were interviewed with respect to rehabilitation of abandoned projects. Thus 194 respondents were randomly selected to achieve the objective of the study. The data was analysed through descriptive statistical analysis and inferential statistics. This research demonstrated that abandoned housing project can lead to residents' satisfaction towards building quality. In order to rehabilitate abandoned housing, the study subsequently suggested build then sell approach towards achieving better housing quality.
Editorial: Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction to Enable Resilient Communities
Authors: Ahmed Iftekhar , Charlesworth Esther
Published: January 2021

Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction to Enable Resilient Communities.

A house is often the most valuable economic and social asset in most communities and its primary function is to provide a safe and secure habitat for its inhabitants. In many disasters, not only rapid onset events such as earthquakes and storms, where housing is usually the most visible component that is damaged or lost, but also in slow onset disasters such as floods and bushfires, people are often forced to abandon their homes. Displacement or loss of housing makes people vulnerable to possible aftershocks, as well as to the climate – rain, snow, heat, etc – thus compounding the effects of the disaster, and significantly impacting household and community health; therefore it is important to safeguard people from these disaster risks through adequate and resilient housing. This has been emphasised in a number of disasters and housing related publications (see for example ADPC, 2002; Coburn et al, 1995; HFHA, undated; IFRC, 2011; Seraj and Ahmed, 2004; UNNATI, 2006).
Architecture is not Technology:- The Space of Differentiation in Architectural Education
Authors: Karassowitsch Michael
Published: January 2021

An unspoken issue of increasing priority in architectural education is the under developed differentiation between architecture and technology. Almost all of the qualifications whereby an architect is prepared for and is permitted to practice professionally are technological parameters. But architecture is not technology. Architecture is, however, both protected by and obscured thru technology being in the forefront that means it is both of benefit and a hindrance.

Architecture being undifferentiated from technology and named in terms of technology thus allows the issue to stay safely within the pragmatic assertion of professionalism that is set up during an education mainly controlled by the profession. Within that is a nascent architectural impulse that resides largely unspoken but which is nonetheless evolved and evolving and shared. The unrevealed architecture generates an aura of the mysterious and the radical which that contributes a greatly to the intensity of mundane and well known work.

This paper examines how architectural technology obviates a space of differentiation within architecture, which may be examined phenomenologically in terms of the essence of humanity, whereby architecture has an original ontological correlation with human aspiration. This will be supported with the well known — for brevity — theoretical and practical examples around the work of Heidegger, Louis I. Kahn. Along with phenomenology, we will introduce philosophies of spiritual practice collectively called rajayoga. The latter is a millennia long experiment with well documented research into human aspiration. The paper concludes with examples of architecture presencing this space of differentiation and suggests the implications on the profession of an education that scan develop the super-ordinate program that is architectural practice.
Study on High Comfort and Low Energy Consumption Community Design in China
Authors: Jinxiu WU , Meiying Zhang , Lin Zhao
Published: January 2021

High comfort and low energy consumption communities have become an important topic for community planning & design in China. Considering the special situation in China, the meaning of high comfort and low energy consumption communities lies in three aspects: making utmost use of natural climatic conditions, providing enjoyable indoor and outdoor living environments in circumstances of high-rise and high-density development, and holistic design of adjacent dwelling units to provide utmost flexibility. This paper uses design proposals for two real projects in two different cities in China - one in Yixing in South China and another one in Harbin in north China - as examples of how to design high comfort and low energy consumption communities by following local climatological factors and by respecting occupants’ needs in the long run. This paper shows that such communities can be planned in two steps, with special attention to the local climate. First, climatically responsive site planning determines building layout, height of each part, and also the design of open spaces. Second, detailed planning & design addresses the disadvantages of the site, improving space quality. Following local climatological conditions is also one of the key issues in housing design for high comfort & low energy consumption communities. In the housing design of the Harbin project, besides consideration to climate, special attention was also given to flexible/variable dwelling unit design according to occupants’ long-term needs. The “1+1 mode” is put forward to provide utmost flexibility for families with 3 generations for their current and future lives.
Low-Rise, High-Density Housing, as a Way of Sustainability in Hungary
Authors: Theisler Katalin K.
Published: January 2021

The paper discusses the position of low rise, high density housing in Hungary on a theoretical level, from the conceptional point of view. The purpose is that the dissemination and popularization of the housing type would be beneficial to the society. Before and after World War Two different nature of this housing type was present in the country, but after the regime change in 1989 the continuity has been lost.

This paper aims to support the above assumptions - discussing the benefits of the installaton type in the light of global and local issues, and search of the housing type’s local positions. The actuality of housing issue is relevant because of the planning of 2014-2020 housing program, the fall of yearly built houses, the imbalance of housing allocation and the urgent questions of global problems.

The paper’s method is threefold (1) discusses the potential of the housing type in correlation with the three pillars of sustainability, (2) analyses past examples from three different periods of the past century and (3) searches its position according to actual social changes and suggests strategic objectives for the future use of low rise, high density housing in the country.