The Digital Mosque

This article introduces the idea of the "convergent mosque," an online mosque paradigm converging virtual and physical spaces. First, it reviews the formal and typological elements of religious architecture as accumulated over the course of centuries, highlighting the evolutionary nature of mosque design and focusing specifically on the Ottoman/Turkish case. Building upon this historical background, the latter part of the article elaborates a new mosque paradigm suitable for the digital age. The main argument of the study is that a concept as time-honored as the architecture of the mosque may paradoxically be best maintained by a change in design, allowing it, too, to evolve in accordance with advancing technologies.     

The Story of Istanbul's Modernisation

Since reform started under Ottoman rule in the early 19th century, Istanbul has undergone a substantial period of modernisation that has spanned more than 150 years. İlhan Tekeli outlines the metropolis' enduring development, characterising Istanbul's transformation into a modern city into four distinct periods. It is a story that bridges the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the reconstruction of the Turkish Republic as a nation-state, with the initial demise of the city in favour of Ankara; and continues with Istanbul regaining its status as a world city; as it evolves from a monstrous industrial city to an urban region and global centre. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Data-driven placemaking: Public space canopy design through multi-objective optimisation considering shading,structural and social performance

In the context of ongoing densification of cities and aging urban populations, public spaces are a crucial infrastructure to support the physical and mental wellbeing of urban residents. The design of public space furniture elements is often standardised, and not considered in relation to environmental conditions and mechanisms of social interaction. This article presents a digital workflow to generate site-specific designs for shaded public seating, considering the relationships of local public places to their surroundings. A strategy for customised and site-specific design is developed through the use of multiple software tools, employing evolutionary algorithms and multi-objective optimisation. The method is applied to a small public space canopy prototype installed within a public housing estate in Hong Kong, incorporating additional criteria to achieve a low-cost and light-weight structure. Through multiple stages of refinement and optimisation, a material, structural and social performance-driven outcome was achieved that creates a shaded space for public seating, people watching and social interaction. As part of a larger research agenda exploring architectural form-finding and environmental psychology, the project represents potential new applications in the emerging field of socially driven computational design.     

英孚上海总部

英孚是上海一家英语学校。该中心包括三层的教室设备以及计算机房,四层的行政管理人员办公空间。本着学习超越书本的理念,本案设计了一系列的社交互动空间．例如咖啡厅．桌球角．体育场座椅等,使学生能够汇集在一起体验交流活动。一架大型体育场座椅型的楼梯连接起这两个楼层．董事会会议室悬在其上的”木制”盒子里。各种不同的盒子结构创造出中间层的计算机室与办公空间。     

A Retrospective View of the Turkish Rural Urban Development Policies and the Case of the Village Towns

Using a spatial framework perspective, this article critically reviews Turkish urban rural development policies retrospectively and explores the reasons behind their failure. The study traces the roots of recent Turkish rural urban policies back to philosophical and conceptual developments that began during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, later gaining acceptance in the first decade of the newly founded Republic. It then uses Central Place and von Thünen's Agricultural Location Theories to analyze complex relationships between settlement hierarchy, market size, distance to village settlements, and intensity in production and crop choices in order to explain what may happen when a policy intervenes or tries to change these spatial relationships. Finally, it concludes that, together, a lack of feasibility studies of spatial and socioeconomic characteristics of planned developments, poor citizen participation and political instability all contributed to the failure of Village Town and similar projects.     

Carlo Scarpa: The Complete Works

Abstract

This article introduces the idea of the “convergent mosque,” an online mosque paradigm converging virtual and physical spaces. First, it reviews the formal and typological elements of religious architecture as accumulated over the course of centuries, highlighting the evolutionary nature of mosque design and focusing specifically on the Ottoman/Turkish case. Building upon this historical background, the latter part of the article elaborates a new mosque paradigm suitable for the digital age. The main argument of the study is that a concept as time-honored as the architecture of the mosque may paradoxically be best maintained by a change in design, allowing it, too, to evolve in accordance with advancing technologies.     

A monument for Turkish hospitality: the staging of Ahrida Synagogue

The year 1992 was celebrated as the 500^th anniversary of the Sephardi Jewish migration to Ottoman lands. The celebration campaign was led by Turkish Jews, and included a wide range of publications, events and activities in Turkey and abroad. Most discourses and practices included in the campaign aimed at showcasing the history of Turkish-Jewish affinity and solidarity, and thereby renewing the image of Turkish Jews. Among a large number of celebratory activities, the restoration of Ahrida Synagogue in the Balat quarter of Istanbul was particularly important. This building, although presumed to have been in existence before the Sephardic migration, was intended to be a lasting ‘symbol’ of the 500^th anniversary of this event. This paper traces the history of how an historic synagogue became a stage where a minority group’s identity and memory were re-moulded and displayed. It critically analyses several discourses and practices that surrounded Ahrida Synagogue around 1992, and discusses how they contributed to the construction of a new Turkish-Jewish history. The restoration, accompanied by political performances, made Ahrida Synagogue a star of Istanbul's Jewish heritage, and a tourist attraction. Yet, by associating it with an official history, it also placed a division between the synagogue and its veteran community.     

Architectural mimicry and the politics of mosque building: negotiating Islam and Nation in Turkey

This paper discusses the politics of mosque architecture in modern Turkey. The classical Ottoman mosque image has been reproduced in state-sponsored mosques throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Defining this particular design strategy as architectural mimicry, I discuss the emergence of this image through the negotiation between the nation-state and the ‘nationalist conservative’ discourse within the context of Cold War geopolitics. Comparing the Turkish case with the Islamic post-colonial world, I argue that the prevalence of architectural mimicry is related to the nostalgia it generates. Nostalgia is a discursive effect of architectural mimicry which is in tune with the nationalist conservative worldview in its relationship to the state's anti-communism. This particular image was taken up by the Islamist AKP in the 2000s, within the context of the global rise of political Islam. In this instance, the same representation took on a different meaning. It functioned as a simulacrum representing the ‘nation in Islam’ with a claim to authenticity amongst the competing Islamic representations.     

Metamorphism in culture and housing desing: Turkey as an example

Lawrence maintains about all architectural environments and housing that, they are both in a relationship with culture and they are a total configuration of social, demographical, psychological, human behavioral and environmental structure. Moreover, in analyzing this complex structure, he emphasizes to examine it within two perspectives: design-meaning and use. Consequently, the basic components, which affect housing design, are classified in three main topics: cultural, social, and psychological. In the light of Lawrence's ideas, under the topic of the role of culture and tradition in the development of housing, this paper aims to define the basic Turkish traditional housing principles with slogans and important examples. In this content, cultural, social and psychological components in traditional Turkish houses are held under the heading of the development of traditional Turkish house. The organization rules, the effects of the basic psycho-social components…etc., and the presence of these principles are criticized with Turkish housing examples before and after 1980. The chosen period in this study is not coincidental. The aim of choosing the periods before and after 1980 has a special meaning in Turkey's economic, politic and social life. Choosing these two basic periods, will not only point out the changes—like a metamorphism—in cultural life, but in architectural needs in Turkish houses. Therefore, in the aim of analyzing cultural changes and their effects on housing design, the architectural meanings in the elements of Turkish houses are put forward in details, in order to make some estimation for the future of changing Turkish architectural life.     

The Nevai Hotel

Yasmine意欲打造与山地环境相关联的，特别的滑雪酒店，但是又不完全复制阿尔卑斯设计风格。正是因为有此思想，她采用了从自然中抽象出来的曲线外形和抽象的外表．这样既可以使该建筑与周围环境连接又可以打造现代的、精致的美感。一层前台采用了光滑的、连续的表面．它是由人造的材料制成，比如说半透明的聚合物和白色的Corian。接待桌使用了同样的材料．接待桌形如马蹄．采用背部照明并同时采用冰水晶灯投射。整个酒店休息区内．雪花的形象随处可见，它们散布于敞开式厨房、餐厅．玻璃隔断和家具上。     

从周边环境的角度探讨城市家具的设计原则

从与周边环境关系的角度探讨了城市家具的设计原则,在城市家具于社会大环境的变迁而产生了不同的定位与表现的前提下,分析了设计物与文化及空间发展的关系,探讨了城市家具在材料、视觉表征及质量上的基本判准,提出应从地域性的大环境与社会大环境的角度进行思考,多元的塑造城市家具的独特性。     

Understanding traditional residential architecture in Anatolia

Traditional architecture and associated environments created by residential buildings provide an important focus of interest in contemporary Turkey.1 1. The main thesis of this article is based upon my paper ‘Traditional Residential Architecture in Anatolia’, presented to a seminar on Conservation and Rehabilitation of Half-Timber Structures, Ankara: METU, 1989 and the doctoral thesis submitted to METU, Faculty of Architecture, Program of Restoration in 1994. The concepts have, however, been revised according to more recent surveys. They are generally accepted as physical witnesses of the past to be preserved and studied. Continuity in the traditional characteristics of the social group living in these environments has been observed in many of the extant settlements in Turkey. The reciprocal relationship between the dwelling and its owners, or users, has led to a dual definition of the ‘traditional dwelling unit’: the social unit being the ‘family’, the architectural unit the ‘dwelling’. The existing, modest-scaled, traditional dwellings in Turkey, which constitute the subject of this study, were mostly constructed after the seventeenth century, but more recent buildings exhibiting similar characteristics are also covered by the term ‘traditional’.2 2. The concepts of ‘tradition’, ‘culture’, ‘vernacular’, ‘historical’, ‘regional’, ‘pre-industrial’, ‘popular’ and ‘folk’ fall outside the limits of this study. The term ‘traditional’ has been used throughout the text; the term ‘Ottoman’ has not been adopted due to its attribution to the 1923 constitution of the Turkish Republic — it cannot, consequently, be used as reference to the continuation of tradition, which is one of the main ‘givens’ of this study. A term referring to a geographical distribution of archetype under investigation has been sought. There is an important building stock incorporating similar architectural characteristics within contemporary political boundaries of other countries, such as Iran, Bulgaria, Greece, etc., which had once formed part of the Ottoman Empire. ‘Turkey’ has not been preferred for its reference to the political boundaries of the Republican era for the same reason. Instead, another geographical term ‘Anatolia’ is considered in a widened context throughout the text to refer to a more generic concept than it implies geographically. Anatolia is considered to be the land of origin on which many cultures have emerged, generated and spread to the affected lands throughout history. Furthermore, the concentration of this study focuses specifically on extant dwellings in Anatolia. Within the confines of the term ‘traditional residential architecture in Anatolia’, there are further limitations. The origin of traditional residential architecture in Anatolia, its typological evolution, its social, cultural and/or historical aspects are not the major concerns of this study, which focuses on existing examples. A limitation of the period covered by this study accords with the construction dates of extant buildings from the seventeenth century onwards. This is an open-ended period because of the continuity in ‘traditional’ aspects in many of the settlements. The concept of ‘privacy’ serves as the basis of evaluation in analysing the interrelation of any two units. The interface of two units can be defined as an hierarchy of privacy represented sociologically by the interrelations of person/family/neighbourhood relationships and architecturally through the interrelations of room/dwelling unit/street/neighbourhood.3 3. This dwelling unit was the subject of the studio course ARCH 405 in 1989—1990, Autumn semester. The project was supervised by the author and Res.Asst. Ertu?rul Morçöl; the students were Önder Kaya, Ufuk Serin, Murat Aya?, Deniz Kutay and Gül Vanl?. This approach will include a brief summary of some previous studies of traditional residential architecture (Fig. 1).     

东北地区家具设计漫谈

通过对东北地区的家具进行分析研究,针对其家具具有的地域性和民族性的特征,分别从自然因素、家具造型、材料使用、装饰手法、信仰习俗等方面进行了介绍,丰富了东北地区的家具艺术宝库,有利于家具设计更好地体现区域性和民族性特征。     

立体构成在室内与家具设计中的应用

目前,我国各领域的发展迅速,在室内设计和家具设计的过程中,要运用一些先进的理念更为重要。立体构成在室内设计和家具设计的过程中,有助于科学的设计,从理论层面上,加强立体构成分析中的实际应用,理论上可以发挥作用,促进优化室内设计和家具设计。     

从天人合一的角度论传统建筑与家具设计

从＂天人合一＂的思维角度谈起,从建筑空间与家具陈设的中轴对称,建筑空间与家具造型的尺度关系两个部分论述了中国传统家具与建筑的内在亲缘关系,以期为新时代的家具与建筑设计研究提供观念上的启示与帮助。     

‘THE THEATRE OF THE WELSH FARMER’S DOMESTIC LIFE’

Abstract

This paper examines the evidence provided by artists and surviving furniture to show how houses in Wales were used by their inhabitants. The principal room of the rural home is termed the cegin in Welsh; it was the centre of family life and an important cultural institution. Regardless of the house type, the interior and furnishings of this room were remarkably similar throughout Wales from the mid-seventeenth century into the twentieth century for all groups below the landed gentry. This remained true for houses with a ‘post-vernacular’ exterior. Some very individual furniture evolved within this space which combined the requirements of both utility and display and reflected the values of the owners. The designs developed, following tradition but accommodating new ideas when appropriate. The significance of the furnishings of the other rooms is also assessed, challenging the notion of social emulation as the prime determinant of change within vernacular material culture.     

明清家具中设计语言的解构分析

所谓的柱是指所有的垂直的柱式零件和所有水平”梁”式的零件．如椅子的前腿、后腿等属于柱,而横帐、木框嵌板等属于“梁”式零件。这样的结构多采用半榫、抱肩榫、圆榫等等。柱与板之间的结构在大多情况下是属于支帐“柱”与台面类的结构．如几、案、箱、柜、椅面等,结构采用夹角榫．长短榫、综角榫、直角榫等等。     

景观词义的演变与辨析(1)

作为一个外来语,景观在中国当前的LA学术界中被普遍地使用,导致了人们对学科核心概念的误解。在明确景观存在德、英、中3个语境的前提下,通过对中文语境景观词义的演变过程以及Landscape在LA学科中含义拓展的回顾,进行了英语Landscape（景观）与中文风景的比较,指出了中国LA学科中景观并不等同于地理学和生态学的景观概念,比较了中国LA学科的大地景物规划与国际上景观规划的异同。     

Comparison of formaldehyde emission from building finishing materials at various temperatures in under heating system; ONDOL

The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of various temperatures, room, 37 and 50 degrees C, on formaldehyde emission from floor materials, such as laminate and plywood floorings, and furniture materials, such as MDF and particleboard veneered with decorative paper foil, by desiccator's method. The temperature conditions were set up by, measuring the temperature in a Korean under heating system. To maintain an indoor air temperature of 20 degrees C, the temperature of the flooring surface was about 37 degrees C and the temperature of the cement mortar was 50 degrees C. The initial formaldehyde emission of the laminate flooring and plywood flooring was 1.44 and 0.63 mg/l, and for MDF and particleboard it was 4.73 and 4.95 mg/l, respectively. Floor materials were under E1 grade while furniture materials were under E2 grade in terms of formaldehyde emission. Because of the under heating system, the flooring materials were exposed to 37 and 50 degrees C, while the furniture materials mostly existed at room temperature. At 37 and 50 degrees C, the formaldehyde emission level of the flooring materials was already under 0.3 ppm (F level by JIS A 1460, application possibility without area limit) after 10 days and the emission had decreased further (0.03-0.10 mg/l) after 28 days. These levels are not injurious to the human body and will not cause sick house syndrome (SHS). The problem, however, is the furniture materials such as MDF and particleboard. As these materials are not exposed to high temperature (50 degrees C in this experiment) in living condition, it was still E2 grade of formaldehyde emission level at room temperature remained even after 28 days. Although there will be variations with the volume of furniture materials and the indoor conditions, furniture materials are the principal cause of indoor air quality pollution in Korean with the under heating system. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Koreans spend most of their time sitting on ONDOL (heated) floors, with their buttocks always in contact with the floor surface. The flooring materials are exposed to high temperatures (37-50 degrees C) why the effect of bake-out is rapid. The emission of formaldehyde from furniture materials are more important for the IAQ because usually MDF and particleboard of E2 grade are being used as furniture materials in Korea.     

景观词义的演变与辨析(2)

作为一个外来语,景观在中国当前的LA学术界中被普遍地使用,导致了人们对学科核心概念的误解。在明确景观存在德、英、中3个语境的前提下,通过对中文语境景观词义的演变过程以及Landscape在LA学科中含义拓展的回顾,进行了英语Landscape（景观）与中文风景的比较,指出了中国LA学科中景观并不等同于地理学和生态学的景观概念,比较了中国LA学科的大地景物规划与国际上景观规划的异同。