Middle East Technical University,
Department of Architecture, Ankara-Turkey
ARCH 302 – Architectural Design IV
Spring terms 1999-2002
Mardin Projects – Handouts: Aydan Balamir

The following includes the handouts of three term projects given in 3rd year design studios at METU (Middle East Technical University, Ankara), in consecutive academic years between 1999-2002. The projects are carried out in the historic town of Mardin in the South Eastern region of Turkey. The topics and sites given in each term have varied as follows:

1. (1999-2000) Aydan Balamir, Aysegül Tokol: URBAN RENEWAL AND HOUSING  in Necmettin Quarter (in the oldest, medieval section of the town)

2. (2000-2001): Aydan Balamir, Ali Cengizkan: COMMUNITY CENTER in Sehidiye Quarter (developed in the early 20th century, Republican Center of the town)

3. (2001-2002) 2 separate sections:
a)    Aydan Balamir, Kadri Atabas: CRAFTS SCHOOL in the sprawling edge of Savurkapı Quarter
b)    Ali Cengizkan, Sebnem Yalınay: HOUSING  in Yenikapı Quarter

All three projects are held jointly with a 2nd year design studio conducted by Türkan Uraz at ITU (Istanbul Technical University), sharing similar sites and objectives, but with varying project titles and programs.

The synopses are based on a common text, varying slightly each term according to the program undertaken. The visual documents of selected student works are available from: Aydan Balamir, METU Faculty of Architecture, Ankara-Turkey (aydabal@arch.metu.edu.tr)


Middle East Technical University,
Department of Architecture, Ankara-Turkey
ARCH 302 – Architectural Design IV
Spring 1999-2000
Sections: Aydan Balamir & Aysegül Tokol

Final Project: URBAN RENEWAL AND HOUSING IN MARDIN  

The town of Mardin, located at the crossroads of the upper Mesopotamia, is renown for its multi-cultural heritage. The natural and historical assets of the town have already attracted a flow of foreign and domestic tourists for short periods of stay. The forthcoming restoration project will make Mardin a center of attraction for professional and academic teams who are likely to stay for longer periods (summer/winter schools, summer practices, archeological camps, etc.). During their stay, it is possible for them to participate actively in local craft ateliers (such as stonework and jewelry), some of  which may provide apprenticeship programs for the visiting enthusiasts.

One purpose of the project is to contribute to the revival of the local crafts by providing facilities for retail, recreation and accommodation. The chosen neighborhood may thus serve for the convenience of artisans and visitors, though it is not meant to be a “tourist attraction” place or a “convention center”–both implying stereotype starred hotels that remain alien to the local residents of the town. The public spaces of the neighborhood should contribute to the daily life in Mardin.

The other purpose of the project is related to the daily life of the town’s inhabitants; it is to provide permanent accommodation and related facilities for a social group of officers or public workers (such as teachers, bankers, army personnel, municipality and governor’s office workers, etc.). The reason why a ‘white collar’ group is preferred as target population lies in the assumption that such a group represents an in-between position in terms of housing expectancies. We assume that the occupants of the new housing will hold a combination of native residents and new comers to the town, all sharing expectations for contemporary housing standards as well as for a milieu that differs from ‘standard’ solutions provided by the market and official lodgings alike. The resolution of such conflicting demands –between modern urbanism and a milieu that belongs to Mardin– makes a challenging topic for the designer. For the architectural implications of the problem, see also the notes at the end of this handout.
 

PHASES OF THE STUDY
There are two phases to this study: 1) urban regeneration within a section of the historical fabric –grossly between the külliye and the mosque; 2) new housing at the edge of the fabric.

The first phase will undertake in groups of 3-4 students, the development of 1/500 scale urban design proposals for the specified neighborhood.  It is the task of this phase to explore (i) the transformation of the vacant historic buildings to accommodate new functions; (ii) the design of new buildings where the fabric allows infill proposals; (iii) the design of public open spaces, including pedestrian and vehicular accesses, outdoor spaces such as courtyards, terraces, squares and parks. You are expected to develop your own scenario for the use pattern of both the existing and infill structures, keeping in mind the general purpose identified above.

The second phase concerns a larger scale infill, where the fabric has been damaged by the introduction of multi story apartment houses. The aim is to get well-designed, variant house types for urban way of life, having in mind the nature of Mardin houses as inspiration for contemporary solutions. Various household alternatives are to be considered – including single, couple, family with one child, family with two-three children and extended family. You are asked to develop your own scenario to determine the amount and size of various house types, and to write down a building program for the semester finale.

The intention is to introduce a new urban setting that will not damage the authentic character of the district. This does not mean, however, the reproduction of ‘fake traditions’ by introducing ‘scenographic’ motifs. The problem is a difficult one: How to make the new belong to its cultural and physical context? How to keep the spirit of the existing fabric and be contemporary at the same time? (Refer to Ricoeur’s argument in your Frampton reading.) Although all design operations in Mardin, especially on our site, could be classified as ‘infill’, the parcels adjacent to listed buildings within the historical fabric need particular attention. There are some recently built, misfit housing blocks in the vicinity of the site. We agreed on omitting them and suggesting new proposals on those parcels.

You are expected to interpret and regenerate urban typologies that are recurrent in Mardin –such as ‘courtyard building’, ‘connected building’, ‘atrium building’, ‘passage building’ etc. For the housing proposals at the edge of the fabric, functional house types such as perimeter block, terraced housing, row houses, attached or detached blocks of medium size (i.e. walk-up flats) are at your disposal.  Single, double and triple room houses are to be searched, avoiding the repetition of cliché solutions observed in mainstream apartment housing. For both of the phases, the following aspects of urban design need to be considered:

·    Scale: size relationship of an urban object to the whole; unity vs. contrast, and the hierarchy of values–of a house in a street, of a street in a town, of a town in the landscape;
·    Skyline: visual abstraction of urban identity; horizontal and vertical directionalities of the urban silhouette; object buildings vs. the fabric;
·    Topography: the topological intricacy of volumes throughout the fabric; the ‘building of the site’;
·    Size and measure: (width-depth relationships/proportions) of urban plots and facades;
·    Alignment of the urban plots and facades ; creation of linear appearances or differentiation along squares and streets;
·    Architectural expression and character of townscape ; the language and the mood of places;
·    Movement patterns: the ease and naturalness of human motion; views and vistas experienced from vantage points and during a stroll in streets;
·    Environmental factors: temperature, humidity, pressure, daylight, pollution, noise, smells, etc. as constant concerns for urban spaces.

 
PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
Project submission has two phases: group work and individual house proposals. Project requirements are listed below; however, you are free to present additional drawings and/or models. All presentations will be mounted on corrugated cardboards of which sizes are up to your design.

GROUP WORK (Urban Regeneration):
1/500 site model - showing the site and surroundings
1/500 site plan, 1/500 site silhouette(s)-section(s), Sketches/images
Regeneration program

INDIVIDUAL WORK (Housing):
1/500 site model - fitting into your group model
1/500 site plan - showing your new housing development proposal in detail
1/500 site silhouette(s)-section(s)
1/200 partial model or axonometric drawing
1/200 cluster plans (primarily, the ground level)
1/200 sections and elevations
1/100 or 1/50 house plans, sections and elevations
Housing program
Sketches/perspectives


ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM
Developed by each student, according to the identified scope of the project.

 


Middle East Technical University,
Department of Architecture, Ankara-Turkey
ARCH 302 – Architectural Design IV
Spring 2000-2001
Sections: Aydan Balamir & Ali Cengizkan

Final Project: URBAN SPACES AND COMMUNITY CENTER in MARDIN

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE
The town of Mardin, located at the crossroads of the upper Mesopotamia, is renown for its cultural heritage. The natural and historical assets of the town have already attracted a flow of foreign and domestic tourists for short periods of stay. The forthcoming restoration project will make Mardin a center of attraction for professional and academic teams who are likely to stay for longer periods (summer/winter schools, summer practices, archeological camps, etc.). During their stay, it is possible for them to participate actively in local craft ateliers (such as stonework and jewelry), some of which may provide apprenticeship programs for the visiting enthusiasts. The purpose of the project in this regard is to contribute to the revival of the local crafts by providing facilities for training, accommodation, retail and recreation.

The neighborhood in question holds the eastern part of the old city. Once the heart of the city with its governmental buildings, this district is now in need of upgrading and revitalization. It will serve for the convenience of artisans and visitors, though it is not meant to be a “tourist attraction” place or a “convention center”–both implying stereotype starred hotels that remain alien to the local residents of the town. The public spaces of the neighborhood should contribute to Mardin, to the daily life of the town’s inhabitants. Mardin Community Center is to provide permanent space for all cultural activities and temporary accommodation, with related facilities for a social group of community action. We assume that the occupants of the Center will hold a combination of native residents and new comers to the town, all sharing expectations for contemporary privileges. The resolution of such conflicting demands of different groups is thought to dissolve the conflicts between modern urbanism and a milieu that belongs to Mardin, which makes a most challenging topic for the designer. For the architectural implications of the problem, see also the notes at the end of this handout.
 
PHASES OF THE STUDY
There are two recommended phases to this study: 1) defining tools and deciding for the physical plan of urban, which considers a new entity as image for the historic part of the city under consideration; and 2) the new buildings and their articulations.

The first phase will comprise the development of 1/500 scale urban design proposal for the specified neighborhood. Please explore (i) the transformation of the vacant historic buildings to accommodate new functions; (ii) the proposal of new buildings where the fabric allows in-fills; (iii) the design of public open spaces, including pedestrian and vehicular accesses, outdoor spaces such as courtyards, terraces, squares and parks. Develop your own scenario for the use pattern of both the existing and in-fill structures, keeping in mind the general purpose identified above.

The second phase concerns the site to the back of Defterdarlık and PTT buildings; as well as other ‘impact’ points, identified in blue and green colors during your urban analysis. Keep in mind that the nature of Mardin architecture may give inspirations for innovative contemporary solutions. Develop your own scenario using the ‘Preliminary Program’ given below, before starting the design phase.

Bear in mind that, although all design operations in Mardin, especially on our site, could be classified as ‘in-fill’, the parcels adjacent to listed buildings within the historical fabric need particular attention. Here, you are expected to interpret and regenerate urban typologies that are recurrent in Mardin –such as ‘courtyard building’, ‘connected building’, ‘atrium building’, ‘passage building’, etc.
 
For both of the phases, the following aspects of urban and architectural design need to be considered:
·    Scale: size relationship of an urban object to the whole; unity vs. contrast,
·    Size and measure (width-depth relationships) of urban plots; repeated proportions in buildings;
·    Skyline and silhouette: visual abstraction of urban identity in contours; horizontal and vertical directionalities of the urban form; object buildings vs. the fabric;
·    Topography: the task of ‘building the site’
·    Architectural expression and character of townscape ; the language and the mood of places; differentiation of squares and streets;
·    Movement patterns: the ease and naturalness of human motion; views and vistas experienced from vantage points and during a stroll in streets;
·    Environmental factors: temperature, humidity, pressure, daylight, pollution, noise, smells, etc. as constant concerns for urban spaces.

PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
Project submission requirements are listed below; however, you are free to present additional drawings and/or models. All presentations will be mounted on corrugated card-boards of sizes cm 35/100.
Contextual Proposal (Urban Regeneration):
Regeneration program (as one- page written statement)
1/500 site plan, 1/500 site silhouettes-sections
Individual Proposal  (Mardin Community Center):
1/200 site model - fitting into your group model
1/200 site plan - showing your new development proposal in detail
1/200 site silhouettes-sections
1/200 plans, sections and elevations
1/100 or 1/50 sections and elevations
Sketches / perspective images

ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM
This preliminary program outlines the characteristics of the required functions for the building group. Modifications, as well as new interpretations, in the size of functions and the building sub-groups are welcome.

Public Spaces
Entrance:  indoor and outdoor spaces to provide the first contacts (visual, tactile, bodily / kinesthetic...); sitting arrangement for 10-12 people, waiting;  'hanging' of 15-20 people; information desk & auxiliary spaces for 2-3 personnel
Multi-Purpose Hall 1: for  public use (sıra gecesi, dügün- dernek etc.), stage performances and musical rehearsals; - 150-200 people; with outdoor possibilities.
Multi Purpose Hall 2: audio visually equipped space; for video and film shows, conferences, meetings - 75-100 people; with outdoor possibilities.
Foyer and Service Spaces: WC & Lavatories, Storage, Technical Rooms.

Educational and Training Facilities
Arts & Crafts Workshops:  for jewelry, silver-ware, copper-work & stonework; possibilities for other certificate courses; master-apprenticeship programs.

Exhibition and Service Spaces: display and purchase possibilities; WC & Lavatories, Storage, Auxiliary Spaces.

Accommodation and Gastronomic Facilities
Guest House: Max Space Available 50+5 people; may be used as Apart Hotel; a total of 17 Rooms, with the composition of: 6 double bed rooms, 5 triple-bed rooms, 4 four-bed rooms, 2 five-bed rooms; giving a total of 53 beds.  Room Service Facilities, WC & Lavatories, Storage. Breakfast Hall, (or Café-Patisserie) for 25 people; with outdoor possibilities. Kitchen and Storage Areas, of convenient size.
Administration: Manager Room; Secretary Space; Meeting Room; Rooms for 4-5 personnel; 2 technical staff.
Heating-Ventilation (HVAC) and Storage Areas: of required size and with necessary relations.

 
Middle East Technical University,
Department of Architecture, Ankara-Turkey
ARCH 302 – Architectural Design IV
Spring 2001-2002
Sections: Aydan Balamir & Kadri Atabas

Final Project: CRAFTS SCHOOL in MARDIN

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE
The town of Mardin, located at crossroads of the upper Mesopotamia, is renown for its multi cultural heritage embodied in its monuments and urban settlement. The town is marked by traces of civilizations and of a continuing process of deterioration, restoration and regeneration during the Republican modernization. Declared among preservation sites of Anatolia, and presently candidate for ‘world heritage’ by UNESCO, the geographical and historical assets of the town have attracted a flow of foreign and domestic visitors. The increasing interest in ‘faith tourism’ in the region, the emerging restoration projects, archeological and cultural studies, all contribute to the revitalization of Mardin.

The final project of this term is the design of a ‘Crafts School’ in Mardin. The purpose of the project is to contribute to the revival of local crafts by providing a vocational training center for young generations. Besides serving as a 2-year vocation school of 200 students capacity, the school will provide training for enthusiasts of all ages and from all places, domestic and international; it will be open to public for certificate courses and master-apprenticeship programs during evening courses, weekends and summer programs. The social purpose of the project is to create job opportunities in the town; integrated with a cultural purpose of sustainable development, the remaining artisans in the region are expected to participate in and benefit from the project. With these purposes in mind, the project asks for accommodation facilities, multipurpose spaces for exhibitions, retail and cultural activities alongside the spatial requirements of an education program.

Consider also the needs of professional and academic teams who come for summer/winter schools, summer practices, archeological camps, etc. During their stay in the school’s dormitory, it is possible for them to participate actively in local craft ateliers (such as stonework and jewelry), some of which may provide apprenticeship programs for the visiting enthusiasts. The school will serve for the convenience of domestic and international visitors, though it is not meant to be a “tourist attraction place” or a “convention center” –both implying stereotype starred hotels that remain alien to the local residents of the town. The building should contribute to the townscape of Mardin, and to the daily life of the town’s inhabitants.

The site is on the eastern fringes of the old city, where there is already a number of public buildings, including public schools, a youth center, a library, an hospital, etc. Located at the edge of the city, the district is in need of upgrading and revitalization. You are expected to interpret and regenerate urban typologies that are recurrent in Mardin –such as ‘terraced building’, ‘courtyard building’, ‘connected building’, ‘atrium building’, ‘passage building’, etc. The architecture of Mardin is to provide inspirations for innovative contemporary solutions, with due care for climatic conditions.

PHASES OF THE STUDY
There are three phases to this study: 1) deciding for the general planning and image of the complex, considering the agglomeration of public functions nearby, as well as the edge conditions of this section of the  city; 2) the new buildings; and 3) system detail.

The first phase will comprise the development of 1/500 scale proposal, with attention to the following: (i) the transformation of the vacant historic building to accommodate a part of the program; (ii) the proposal of interventions where the fabric allows in-fills; (iii) the design of public open spaces, including pedestrian and vehicular accesses and parking, outdoor spaces such as courtyards, terraces, squares and parks. Develop your own scenario for the use pattern of both the existing and in-fill structures, keeping in mind the general purpose identified above. The second phase concerns the /200 scale design proposal. Consider the preliminary program (given 15.03.02) to work out the required areas in sq.m. The third phase includes partial solutions at 1/100, 1/50 and 1/20 scales. This means each student has to pick (i) an item of the program to work out in 1/100 or 1/50 scales, depending on the nature of the item; (ii) a typical part of the building to work out in 1/50 or 1/20 plan, section, elevation.


PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
Project submission requirements are listed below; however, you are free to present additional drawings and/or models. All presentations will be mounted on corrugated card-boards of sizes cm 50/70.

Contextual Proposal (Urban Regeneration):
Regeneration program (with one-page written statement)
1/1000 site plan, 1/1000 site silhouettes, section-elevations

Individual Proposal  (Mardin Crafts School):
1/500 site model - fitting into your group model
1/500 site plan - showing your new development proposal in detail
1/500 site section-elevations; 1/200 plans, sections and elevations
1/100 and 1/50 partial studies; Sketch images, axonometric/perspectives


ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM
Educational and Training Spaces:
    Classes:
- Lecture rooms (25-30 students ea.) … 3 x 50 sq m
- Seminar rooms (15-20 students ea.) … 3 x 30 sq m
- Language laboratory (25-30 students ) … 50 sq m        
- Computer laboratory (25-30 students) … 50 sq m  
- Science laboratory (25-30 students) … 60-70 sq m  

    Craft Workshops / Ateliers:
- Jewelry: silver-ware, copper-ware … 30-50 sq m
- Weaving: (carpet and fabrics) … 40-50 sq m
- Stonework / masonry (indoor-outdoor) … 70-80  sq m
- Carpentry: construction, furniture and accessories … 100 sq m
- Metal-work: construction, furniture and accessories … 100 sq m
- Glass-work … 70 sq m

    Library:
- Reading room (40-50 students) … 70-80 sq m
- Librarian’s office, archive and documentation (2 personnel) … 30-40 sq m

    Multi Purpose Hall:
- Possibility for using as sports hall … 200 sq m
- Auxillary rooms (technical room / dressing room etc.) … 50 sq m
- Outdoor space

Administration and Personnel:
- Director’s room (with space for meeting of 6-8 people) … 30-40 sq m
- Secretarial office: registration and accounting (2-3 people) … 30-40 sq m
- Offices for assistant directors (1-2) and branch heads  (6-8 people) … (total) 60 sq m
- Teachers’ meeting room (20-25 people) … 30-40 sq m
- Offices for 3-4 service personnel; 2-3 technical staff (total 5-6 people)

Gastronomic Facilities
- Canteen … 50-80 sq m
- Cafeteria (100 people at a time) … 100 sq m
- Kitchen and personnel dining … 50 sq m

Accommodation:
Boarding/dormitory facilities for max.100 students; to be used as hostel/guest house during summers
- A variety of rooms, from several double and triple-bedrooms to wards of 8-10 … 700 sq m
- Study and leisure rooms … 50 sq m
- Boarding director and service personnel (offices) … 30 sq m
- Infirmary with 3-4 bed capacity … 20-30 sq m
- Staff lodging / suit rooms … 2 x 30 sq m

Extracurricular Facilities
    Theatre and Conference Hall:
- Appropriate for conferences, musical and stage performances (150 people) … 250 sq m
- Audio visually equipped; amphitheater arrangement required
- Emergency access to outdoors
- Technical room

    Foyer and Service Spaces:
- Sitting arrangements, facilities for waiting and  'hanging' of people …100 sq m
- Cloak and refreshment bar
- Outdoor space

    Exhibition and Service Spaces:
- Display and purchase possibilities …100 sq m
- Outdoor space

Service Spaces: …%70
- WC & lavatories: adequate for each cluster of activities
- Storage and auxiliary spaces (other than those identified) for each cluster of activities
- Circulation (% 25-30)

Heating-Ventilation (HVAC)
General Storage and Technical Rooms
Air-raid Shelter
Change in sq. meters up to +/- 10

 
NOTES  ON THE FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
THE PROBLEM OF “OLD and NEW”

(Given with slight variations each terms, during 1999-2002)

1.
Not all the buildings in the vicinity are listed for preservation purposes and there are many recently built, misfit buildings throughout the town. Yet, even if the singular buildings may not be significant in themselves, they create an urban ensemble, which is notable for its spatial structure and place characteristics. In any renovation/regeneration and urban in-fill project, one of the crucial concepts is “contextual compatibility”, i.e., how to relate new architecture to existing urban pattern. No simple formulas can assure successful integration of old and new buildings or fabrics, Peter Blake (1980) reminds, but there are numerous ways to achieve a compatible and harmonious ensemble. To accomplish an architecture of “courtesy” or of  “good manners”, Blake identifies several principles, as follows:


·    that the new buildings should not overpower or interfere with the effect of the earlier;
·    that the texture, scale and tradition of the old should not be violated;
·    that the juxtaposition of old and new within an alignment suggests a separation, especially if the forms are of different characters and yet are of equal strength, etc.

On the other hand, the impact of new structures can contribute much to an historic district, resulting in a richer environment and adding new meaning to townscape. Blake refers to the controversial case of Center Pompidou, which is set incongruously at the center of old Paris, and is yet very expressive of its time, and is reinforcing a sense of place by its very presence. However, those who insist on “respect for the old” are critical about such totally contrasting and striking forms within historic districts, especially when the intervention carries the risk of ruining a memorable silhouette, a landscape or townscape image that remains in the collective memory of the town’s inhabitants. You are expected to develop your critical opinion, taking into account the prevailing codes of conservation as well.

The following quotations may stir up further discussion in class (emphases added):

“The preservation of old parts of towns and cities, the renovation of towns and cities (two concepts which seem to contradict one another) are modern fields of activity for architects … There appear to be two main camps … (but) there is also the third way. That of making contact, reacting, responding. That of starting reciprocal discussion. That of staying silent… That of putting forwards one’s own opinion, listening to that of others, establishing relationships, creating something new. Let us beware of forgery, delusion, camouflage and visual deception. Not subordination but integration should be the maxim by which we act… Someone who cannot draw lessons from the past, who does not treasure what is old, is someone also who cannot create something really new.” (F. Kurrent)

“It seems to me that past, present and future must be active in the mind’s interior as a continuum. If they are not, the artifacts we make will be without temporal depth ... with the result that the present is rendered emotionally inaccessible ... I dislike a sentimental antiquarian attitude towards the past as much as I dislike a sentimental technocratic one towards the future. Both are founded on a static, clockwork notion of time ... So let’s start with the present for a change and discover the unchanging condition of man.” (Aldo van Eyck)

“The modern movement protests against abstract principles as taught at the academies and against the ‘devaluation of form’ brought about by historicism. Initially, however, the movement was not capable of creating a substitute, although it was its wish to return to the ‘real thing’… Thus we have experienced a return to arbitrary geometric schemes and a degeneration of forms in modern architecture to ‘motifs’ which are used everywhere irrespective of place and purpose of building. Just as these motifs are generally schematic and not articulated, and are repeated ad infinitum, the result is an extremely monotonous and sterile environment. To counteract this general development a better understanding of the genius loci and its formal characteristics is absolutely necessary, and this in both spatial terms and terms of character .” (C. Norberg-Schulz)

“Until the creation of the International Style based on the rejection of the precedent, architects continually searched the past for sources of information. There is, however, a world of difference between borrowing and imitating , with the former bearing all the characteristics of a creative act and the latter presenting all the characteristics of a fail-safe attitude.” (J.P. Carlhian)

2.
Please note the distinction between “space creation” and “place making”, the latter necessarily suggesting a character that emerges from tectonic characteristics of architectural form. The intention is to introduce a new urban setting that will not damage the authentic character of the town. This does not mean, however, the reproduction of ‘fake traditions’ by introducing ‘scenographic’ motifs. The problem is a difficult one: How to make the new belong to its cultural and physical context? How to keep the spirit of the existing fabric and be contemporary at the same time? (Refer to Ricoeur’s argument in your Frampton reading.) The following quotations may provide a basis for further discussion in class. (Emphases added.)

“Whereas spatial organization may be described without referring to a particular technical solution, character cannot be separated from the process of MAKING. That is the meaning of Mies van der Rohe’s well known statement “God is in details”... Modern technology, if properly understood, may help us to ... give our environment character, and thereby make it a real place.” (C. Norberg-Schulz)

“When much of modern building is experienced in actuality, its photogenic sculptural quality is denied by the poverty and brutality of its detailing ... How rarely do we encounter a modern work where the inflection of a chosen tectonic penetrates into structure, not as a totalizing force but as an articulate sensibility. That modern society still possesses a capacity for such inflection finds confirmation in the finest work of Aalto. Against his achievement, the present tendency of modern building (is) devoid of content, (is) reduced so to speak, through the way in which it is built.” (K. Frampton)

“Heidegger is telling us that ‘to build’ means the embodiment and making visible of the characteristics of an inhabited landscape, and that the development of the human community, depends on there being a common place. Beliefs and ideologies can unite people and supply the impetus for social integration. They hardly however, have the general value and power of integration of a common place. In fact we always relate ourselves to a place when we want to identify ourselves, saying ‘I am Viennese’, or ‘I am a Roman’. But Heidegger is also saying that the community is set ‘under the opening of the sky’, which means that each settlement forms part of a more comprehensive whole.” (C. Norberg-Schulz)

“Despite the critical importance of topography and light, the primary principle of architectural autonomy resides in the TECTONIC rather than the SCENOGRAPHIC: that is to say, this autonomy is embodied in the revealed ligaments of the construction and in the way in which the syntactical form of the structure explicitly resists the action of gravity … On the other hand, the tectonic is not to be confused with the purely technical, for it is more than the simple revelation of stereotomy or the expression of skeletal framework ... It was perhaps best summarized by the architectural historian Stanford Anderson when he wrote: ‘Tectonic referred not just to the activity of making the materially requisite construction … but rather to the activity that raises this construction to an art of form.’ …The tectonic remains to us today as a potential means for distilling between material, craftwork and gravity, so as to yield a component which is in fact a condensation of the entire structure. We may speak here of the presentation of a STRUCTURAL POETIC rather than the re-presentation of a façade.” (K. Frampton)

3.
The occupants of your building will hold a combination of native residents as well as new comers to the town, all sharing a twofold expectation: local aura and global comfort –i.e. a milieu that belongs to Mardin but one that is not deprived of contemporary privileges at the same time. The resolution of such demands (that may at times be contrary to one another), is meant to dissolve the conflicts between tradition and modernity, or between regional tastes and international standards –which makes a most challenging topic for the designer. You are expected to have read Frampton’s argument on this issue, and to have compared his position with different wings of the postmodernist wave. The following quotation presents the crux of the matter:

“It seems as if mankind, by approaching ‘en masse’ a basic consumer culture, were also stopped en masse at a sub-cultural level. Thus we come to the crucial problem confronting nations just rising from underdevelopment. In order to get on to the road toward modernization, is it necessary to jettison the old cultural past, which has been the raison d’être of a nation? … Whence the paradox: on the one hand, it has to root itself in the soil of its past … But in order to take part in modern civilization, it is necessary at the same time to take part in scientific, technical, and political rationality, something which very often requires the pure and simple abandon of a cultural past. It is a fact: every culture cannot sustain and absorb the shock of modern civilization. There is the paradox: how to become modern and to return to sources; how to revive an old, dormant civilization and take part in universal civilization.” (P. Ricoeur, cited in K. Frampton)

Additional reading material given in class not included in this file.




SKETCH PROBLEM : PATTERNS FROM MARDIN
(Given with slight variations each term, during 1999-2002)

You are asked to identify design ‘patterns’ from the architecture of Mardin, to help you in your own project. Following the framework introduced by Christopher Alexander, the patterns are expected to be distilled from observed environmental values at different scales, from town and neighborhood scales to the scale of buildings, down to construction details. (See the bulky excerpt from A Pattern Language.)

Presentation of each pattern is to include: 1) a schematic drawing to illustrate spatial or constructional solutions that bear social, environmental or aesthetic significances; 2) an architectural sketch to illustrate the pattern, with emphasis on how it is materialized; 3) a ‘translation’ or interpretation of the examined pattern into contemporary language and techniques.

The aim is both to understand the existing architectural fabric of the town and to develop solutions towards the fabrication of today’s Mardin. Put into the terms of current discourses, it is to explore spatial typologies as well as compositional and tectonic solutions that are worth emulation—either to maintain in more or less original form, or to allow transformation, so as to fit the modern condition, towards a ‘sustainable future’. A correct interpretation of such an endeavor is present in Kenneth Frampton’s formulation of ‘critical regionalism’ and throughout ‘contextualist’ positions, at large. Attention also to Robert Krier’s morphological series of urban typologies.

Scope and Format:
-- At least 4 patterns to be introduced in a systematic manner.
-- Free hand, free medium sketches to express the main idea and supplements.
-- Work to be mounted on 50 x 70 corrugated cardboard. Each student to own an individual board.


View the UIA Competition [ Celebration of Cities] Entry which was submitted in January 04 by the following people: Aydan Balamir, Türkan Ulusu Uraz and Mert Kayasu

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