Papers by burcin basyazici
DAKAM VIII International Interdisciplinary Conference, 2023
The increasing prominence of societal gender equality studies appears to be reshaping the worldwi... more The increasing prominence of societal gender equality studies appears to be reshaping the worldwide narratives of social life and has played a significant role in revisiting feminist perspectives within the field of architecture. Gender-based architectural theories have been a subject of research in architecture since 1980s, emerging approximately two decades after from the rise of second-wave feminist theories in
academy. Those theories cover various theoretical models and methodologies, each contributing architectural theory in various scopes. Surprisingly, Marxist feminism which provides a theoretical model within the field of feminist studies is still not widely referenced in architectural studies, despite its foundation in the theory of household labor exploitation and reproduction of labor through space.
Marxist feminism introduces a novel perspective within the field of Marxism focuses on the labor of unemployed woman. Unfortunately, its spatial dimensions have been primarily studied by non-architects, with limited engagement of architectural scholars. Marxist feminism in architecture can be explored in various scales and questions by taking into consideration the spatial effects that are shaped by power
mechanism rooted the leadership of patriarchy. However, the invisible labor of the unemployed woman and its social reproduction remain overlooked in gender studies within architectural field. Hence, this study aims to revisit the Marxist feminism as a theoretical model and critically question the reproduction of home-space of unemployed woman. The reproduction process will be discussed not from a phenomenological or design-based perspective, but rather as the reproduction of space under the influence of the capitalist patriarchal society.
This study seeks to explore the home environment of unemployed women from social and architectural perspectives. It aims to investigate how they reproduce their labor based on space. To achieve this aim, the
study focuses on a case study including five unemployed women from different social classes who have never worked before, in Istanbul. In conclusion, the study proposes approaches for integration of Marxist feminist model into architectural criticism and vice versa.
Space International Conferences, UK., 2021
A s a professional and a theoretician of architecture, Patrik Schumacher has become a controversi... more A s a professional and a theoretician of architecture, Patrik Schumacher has become a controversial figure in architecture and ethics discussions lately. After his statements on social housing problems in London (2016), he has been criticised and protested in many stages and even been called a provocateur in a column of The Guardian. However, it was not the first time he brought those criticisms against orthodox values of architecture. In his lectures in AA Graduate Schoolalso in his books and other writings-he had already defined his theoretical perspective regarding ethical discussions of architecture. However, when he started to spread out his opinions on social media platforms, this made those statements more visible and open to fast-track critiques while also staging non-academic reactions to his perspective. This paper aims to argue the ongoing discussions against Schumacher in terms of the ethical concerns of architecture by questioning the fundamental values of the profession (if any). The paper aims neither to agree nor to disagree with his statements but to understand the ethical perceptions and/or goals of architecture from the societal perspective within this particular case. To achieve this aim, the paper firstly analyses the definition of architectural ethics and continues with positioning the Schumacher-based discussions in this theoretical frame. The article mainly focuses on the discussions on the most visited architectural digital media platforms to understand the motive of the societal reactions. Related platforms have been determined with the help of Alexa Analytics, and the first five of them have been evaluated within the scope. In conclusion, this research proposes to offer a new understanding of what could be contemporary ethical paradigms in architecture with the help of a case, social values of architecture versus Patrick Schumacher.
Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) which was built
in between 1946-1969, is considered one of
the uniq... more Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) which was built
in between 1946-1969, is considered one of
the unique architectural examples of Turkish
modernization period and stands out as one
of the most controversial buildings in Turkey.
Since it stands in Taksim Square, which is
also considered as the main public square
of Istanbul, the building has witnessed many
to historical public events –including Gezi
Protests- and has served as a showcase of the
city by its meticulously designed façade.
However, the building was demolished in
2018. After a series of sterile discussions and
protests, the government declared that AKM
will be re-built again by the son of the architect
who designed the original one. The new
architect who is also a well-known architect of
Turkey, declared that the façade of the building
which has borne witness to an age, will be kept.
This paper proposes to expose the architectural
and urban history of AKM by confronting the
concepts of the new and the old through the
same building. AKM will be taken as a case to
discuss the impact of a single building to the
history of a city by focusing on the following
questions; (i) what makes a building historical
and iconic for a city? (ii) Can a new building
represent the same meaning with the old even
if the two have same function and façade?
(iii) What are the effects of politicians and
architects to urban memory? Even though
the new building is under construction now,
previous versions of the building will be
presented through archival files and shared
documents of the related architecture firms.
The old and new press clippings will also help to
understand not only historical and architectural
but also sociological effects of the building on
the urban memory.
This study will focus on the representation of Architecture with a capital A by questioning the p... more This study will focus on the representation of Architecture with a capital A by questioning the phenomenon of ordinariness, starting with the question of where in the representations of Architecture can we trace the phenomenon of ordinari-ness? The paper goes on to disclose the paradoxical relationship between distinguish-edness and ordinariness. Bourdieus concepts of habitus and field are specified as methodological tools to analyze this paradox within the following two themes (i) the representation of architecture and architects as related to the social classes to which they belong (habitus) and (ii) the influence of architectural institutions and their network agents on architecture as they are socially represented (field). The concept of habitus, will help us to understand the social mechanisms of architecture and architects as distinguished and/or ordinary phenomena, while the concept of field will help us to analyze the operative principles of representational mechanisms. The field of architectural institutions (as understood of Bourdieusian term) descriptive phrases stated by the institutional actors will be taken as major data to examine this paradoxical mechanism. They will be represented by network maps to discuss which mechanisms structure the representational field of Architecture with a capital A whether as a distinguished and/or ordinary phenomenon. Keywords Architecture with a capital A, Representational mechanisms of architecture,
The origin of architecture can be discussed based on the need of shelter and/or noble desire and ... more The origin of architecture can be discussed based on the need of shelter and/or noble desire and it is thought that independent of its period, aim, function or audience; architecture, as a profession has desired to reach that which is unique within its definitive context. The tendency of being distinguished justifies itself basically in representation of architecture and this representation is established through the practice of architectural institutions. Besides these, institutionalization of architecture has not produced any theoretical attempt which problematizes architecture as something being ordinary; this has always been extraneous in the practice of these societies. The aim of this paper is to discuss the phenomenon of being distinguished in architecture through the gentrifying mechanisms of these institutions and to bring the problematic of being ordinary into question as a succeeding discussion. The gentrifying institutions in architecture that establish its representation as a unique product, will be discussed firstly. To understand the underlying mechanism that generates this phenomenon of being distinguished, institutions which are architectural schools, periodicals, social media, and award systems, will be included in this study. Following this, architectural award systems and the Pritzker Prize, will be analyzed as case study. As the method of this study, descriptive phrases defining architecture in Pritzker jury citations for laureates will be analyzed. These phrases will be evaluated based on their representation of honorary expressions of architecture. Towards defining these descriptions, those definitions which refer to architecture as a distinguished object will be discussed in terms of the way of phrasing them. Finally, the phenomenon of being distinguished will be discussed within the context of how it promotes the reproduction of the conventions of architectural knowledge.
This paper is part of a research work which aims to lay the epistemological grounds of architectu... more This paper is part of a research work which aims to lay the epistemological grounds of architectural writings of the Ottoman and early Republican periods, blamed of not creating any theoretical attempt within the field of architecture. The basic argument of the research is that there is the possibility of different epistemologies for understanding the knowledge of architecture and different ways of knowing in different parts of the world, which may in turn enhance the development of other forms of knowledge and new ways of knowing within the field of architecture.
Conventionally, it is believed that knowledge sits in the brain and can be understood independent of the outside world, and has representative characteristics. Yet, with the development of new approaches to the thought processes, classical AI theories have been replaced by more complex theories which include both the body-embodied cognition-as a means of knowing and the environment-situated cognition-which the mind interacts with; and non-representative or other forms of representation of knowledge have been proposed. Moreover, knowledge and knowing are not identified with merely rational processes; sensations, dreams, imaginations, myths, and other ways of knowing also exist, and they are considered as different ways of knowing and sum up to what we call knowledge.
The motivation of this paper comes from two basic sources; one is interest in the non-representative or other than language representative qualities of architectural knowledge, and the other is a curiosity for different ways of knowing. When one becomes interested in those non-representative or non-linguistic characteristics, other sources of knowledge become a point of attention. And how this knowledge-which is definitely not explicit-is acquired, becomes another concern. Ottoman texts related to architecture, can be interpreted in the light of these two instruments. Object oriented and language driven knowledge of architectural objects can be replaced by knowledge of existences, which cannot be represented but experienced, e.g. maqams and music; or an abstract/symbolic representation of these existences in geometry or with numbers. These would in turn, refer to " lived-in " and " thought of " models of knowing.
We will discuss these two ways of learning and knowing through the dichotomy that Mehmed Aga experiences, first by musical education, then by being told that he should learn geometry, which we are informed about by Risale-i Mimariyye. [1] We will base our discussion on propositions of Tasawwuf (mysticism) philosophers, e.g. Kındî and Farabî. [2] Kındî's ontology explains the circular motion of spheres that generate a specific music, in other words, non-conceptual melodic units instead of a conceptual language being the base of a philosophical thought. The other representative yet not conceptual language of thought to our interest would be geometry. These two tools of thought and experience will be discussed as a potential source for other forms of knowledge and knowing in architecture.
Nesnelerin estetiğe dayalı temsili Klasik Dünya’nın
“ideal”leştirmeye dayalı aklının etkisinde g... more Nesnelerin estetiğe dayalı temsili Klasik Dünya’nın
“ideal”leştirmeye dayalı aklının etkisinde gelişmiştir. Platon’dan beri, düşüncenin baskın arayışlarından biri olan “ideal” kavramı, sonrasında pek çok düşünür tarafından da “iyi”, “güzel”, “ahlaklı” vb. olumlamalarla tarif edilmiş hatta “yüce” olana atfedilen bir özellik olmuştur. Benzer bir yaklaşım, mimarlığın tanım ve temsilinde de okunabilir; mimarlık da barınak olmanın ötesinde bir kavram olarak tanımlanmaya başlandığı Klasik Dünya’da “seçkin” ve “yüce” olana ulaşma temsillerinden biri olarak nesneleşmiştir. Ancak bu arayış, beklenildiği üzerine kendi ötekisini oluşturur. İdeal olan ile hesaplaşma, düşünce ve temsil düzleminde ideal olmayanı, yani “kötü”, “çirkin” ve “ahlaksız”ı doğurur. Bu kavramlar arasında en dışarıda bırakılanı ise niceliksel temsilinin tanımsızlığı ve “karşıtının” gücü sebebiyle “çirkinlik” kavramıdır. Bu çalışma, niteliksel bir yaklaşımla, kendini “seçkin” olanda tanımlayan mimarlığın ontolojisinde “çirkin”i, tanım ve temsil düzleminde arayacaktır. Öncelikle, “çirkin” ile tanışmak amacı ile çirkinin tasarım nesnesindeki yeri ve tanımı kısaca incelenecek, sonrasında mimarlığın ontolojisindeki yeri, kavramsal ve nesnel boyutta tartışılacaktır. Çalışmanın amacı mimarlıkta çirkinlik kavramı- nın kuramsal bir analizi olup, nesne üzerinden bir tanımlama hedeflenmemektedir. Çalışma kapsamında araç olarak, mimarlık bilgisinin kavramlarla kurduğu ilişkiyi inceleyen Eisenmann’ın çirkinlik kuramı referans alınmıştır. Bu bağlamda, çirkin”in mimarideki tanım ve temsilini Eisenmann’ın yaklaşımı ile kendi yapısı üzerinden incelemek için Alex Maymind’ın “Still UglyAfter All These Years: A Close Reading of Peter Eisenman’s Wexner Center” makalesi seçilmiştir. Bu okuma, mimaride “çirkin”in içerik ve temsil üzerinden karşılaştırılması imkânını araştırarak, mimarlığın ontolojisinde çirkinin nerede durduğu ve nasıl tartışıldığını anlamayı hedeflemektedir
Abstract: The representations of objects that based upon
aesthetic concerns are generally influenced from the idealization tendency of Classical Period. The concept of “ideal” which is one of the main pursuits of philosophy since Platon, defined by many philosophers as “good”, “beautiful” etc., and mostly attributed to the “supreme”. This tendency also can be observed in definition of architecture. In Classical Period when architecture was firstly defined as a “concept” beyond just being a shelter, it was a pre-eminent object and belongs to the supreme one. However, this pursuit also leads to the contrary concepts against. Dealing with the “ideal” leads to the “nonideal” which means “bad”, “ugly”, etc. in both theoretical and representative ground. However, the most excluded one among these “other” concepts is the “ugly” in terms of architectural theories. The aim of the study is analyzing the concept of ugly on the hypothetical ground of architecture instead of an objective description. Firstly, the existence and definition of “ugliness” in design object will be analyzed briefly to introduce to “ugly”. Secondly, this existence in ontology of architecture will be discussed on the conceptual and objective ground. To achieve this aim, Eisenmann’s definition of ugly in architecture will be used as the main source by referring his analysis the relation between concepts and products in architecture, In conclusion, by referring to Alex Maymind’s article “Still Ugly After All These Years: A Close Reading of Peter Eisenman’s Wexner Center”, the project of Wexner Center will be reinterpreted through the qualitative representation of ugliness in architecture.
Key Words: Ugliness, Pre-Eminent, Ideal, Peter Eisenmann,
Wexner Center
Bu çalışmanın amacı, giderek popülaritesi artan ve nesnel bir gerçekliğe dönüşmeye başla... more Bu çalışmanın amacı, giderek popülaritesi artan ve nesnel bir gerçekliğe dönüşmeye başlayan ‘mimaride sürdürülebilirlik’ kavramının tutarsızlıklarını ortaya koymak suretiyle, statik yapısını bozarak okuyucuya yeniden düşündürmektir. Bu görüş doğrultusunda, bu makale “Sürdürülebilirlik kavramı nasıl moda oldu?” sorusu ile başlayıp; bu kavramın, kapitalizmin bir nesnesi olan moda kavramı üzerinden eleştirel bir bakış açısıyla kuramsal söylem analizi yapılmıştır.
Günümüzde mimarlığın evrilegeldiği çerçevenin, daha önce duyarlı teknokrat rolü oynamak zorunda bırakılmış olan mimarı; moda, meşruiyet arayışı, “duyarlılık”, tüketim ve arzu nesnesi olma, meta fetişizmi, maske gibi kavramlar bütünü içerisindeki tutarsızlığı sorgulamaya ittiği ileri sürülebilir. Dolayısıyla çalışmada tanımlanan “noktasal / düzlemsel karşıtlığı” mimarı teatral pozisyondan etkin bir eylemci rolüne taşımak için araçsallaştırılmıştır.
Çalışmanın sonucunda, mimaride sürdürülebilirlik arayışlarının noktasal çözümlerden ibaret olduğu, düzlemsel yaklaşımın ise içinde bulunulan sistemin düzeninin farkındalığı ile mümkün olabileceği ileri sürülmüştür.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Sürdürülebilirlik, Moda, Kapitalizm
The aim of this paper is to make its readers re-think the notion of ‘sustainability in architecture’, whose popularity is rapidly increasing and which gradually transforms itself into an objective reality, by destructing the static nature of the concept and by revealing the inconsistencies of the concept itself. Along this discussion, the research commences with the question of “how did the notion of sustainability become a fashion?” and the discourse analysis of the concept of sustainability will be made through the notion of fashion that is an object of capitalizm in this paper with a critical perspective.
Today, it can be claimed that the framework, which architecture has been hitherto evolved, has pushed the architect who was formerly forced to act the role of the ‘sensitive technocrat’ to question the inconsitencies within the unity of the above-mentioned concepts such as fashion, a matter of legistimization, ‘sensitivity’, object of ‘consumption’ and ‘the desire’, the fetish of commodity, mask. Thus, the ‘dichotomy of pointwise-planewise’ that is defined in this paper will be instrumentalized for reposition the architect from his/her former status of acting towards a more activist role.
In conclusion, this study will attempt to demonstrate that the pursuit for sustainability of the architecture consists of pointwise solutions. It is set forth that the said is also possible with the awareness of a system layout with a planewise approach.
Key Words: Sustainability, Fashion, Capitalism
Architectural phenomenology suggests that the basis of perceptual integrity between the subject a... more Architectural phenomenology suggests that the basis of perceptual integrity between the subject and a space is multi-sensorial. However, the advancement of visual representation techniques within architecture has led to predominance of the visual experience over other sensory modalities. As a consequence, the integrity of the user's multi-sensorial appreciation of space has been largely neglected which may impact on the holistic experience of the individual. The present study uses an architectural phenomenology approach to explore user experiences of architectural spaces without reference to visual input: the aim being to elucidate key sensory modalities that drive a synthesis of the spatial experience in the absence of visual cues. In this way, the study aims to highlight the role of the non-visual, as a criticism against the tendency to present architecture as a predominantly visual phenomenon. A qualitative study of spatial experiences from four congenitally blind and three late blind individuals was carried out within the framework of architectural phenomenology. Thus, although all suffered total loss of sight, it was possible to assess the impact of latent visual memories within the second group. Indepth interviews with each participant explored responses to four semistructured, open-ended questions. They were asked to describe; 1) what an architectural space means to them, 2) the place they live, 3) the most important architectural features that affect their experience either positively or negatively and 4) the most favourable and unfavourable place they had ever been. No time limit was imposed for answering the questions. The answers were audio recorded with permission. All participants judged an architectural space predominantly by its acoustic properties, with no clear difference between the congenital or late blindness subgroups. A frequently mentioned construct was the sense of spaciousness with the acoustic properties of architectural features such as materials and ceiling height identified as critical determinants. Tactile experiences, in the form of air circulation felt on the skin also helped the participants to judge spaciousness. But, it was odour that was often described as the feature that defines the identity of a place. Contrary to common beliefs, tactile experiences using the hands were mentioned least. We conclude that non-visual senses subserve a central role in the formulation of spatial experiences for the visually impaired and postulate that they may have similarly significant impact on the experiences of the visually adept. Designing the properties of different acoustical ambiances to promote a synergy of sensory experiences through, for example, the selection of materials or dimensional adjustment at intersections, voids, openings and atria rather than concentrating on visual impact alone would enrich the environmental experience significantly. Basyazici-Kulac B., Ito-Alpturer M. | EAEA-11 conference 2013 . (Track 2) Experiential Simulation: the sensory perception of the built environment 168
Thesis Chapters by burcin basyazici
Book Reviews by burcin basyazici
Books by burcin basyazici
DESIGN BUILD RECORD, 2024
Editor: Bahar Aktuna
Authors: Chad SCHWARTZ, Bahar AKTUNA, Ece CEYLAN BABA, Charlie HAILEY, Erdal... more Editor: Bahar Aktuna
Authors: Chad SCHWARTZ, Bahar AKTUNA, Ece CEYLAN BABA, Charlie HAILEY, Erdal KONDAKCI, Esra KARAHAN, Eren OKAR, Giuseppe RESTA, Berna GÖL, Burçin BAŞYAZICI
Design/build pedagogy has been transforming the educational landscape of Architecture programs in the world, specifically North America
and Europe, for many decades while it still remains uncommon and may
even be unheard of in architectural schools in Turkey.
Interested in its pedagogical and professional contributions, we organized a one-week design/build workshop at the Architecture Department of Yeditepe University in Summer 2022, where we invited an influential architectural scholar and practitioner from the University of
Florida School of Architecture, Charlie Hailey, to co-lead the workshop
and transfer his knowledge and best practices on design/build pedagogy,
theory, skills, and infrastructure. The workshop was held with a further
ten instructors, sixteen students, and an administrative staff from the
Architecture Department of Yeditepe University, where all the participants designed and built a dialogue field behind the Fine Arts Faculty
Building. The collaborative intervention was developed on steep land using pine lumber, screws, AAC blocks, and simple construction tools. The
resulting modest work of architecture was named Arka (Back/Rear) and
consisted of four parts: Üst (Top/Upper), Orta (Middle/Center), İskele
(Pier), and Ytong Parçacıklar (Ytong Pieces).
The City and the Myth. 2022, COST Action Writing Urban Places, 2022
This publication is based upon work from COST Action Writing Urban Places, CA18126, supported by ... more This publication is based upon work from COST Action Writing Urban Places, CA18126, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation. www.cost.eu | www.writingurbanplaces.eu Red Lines in Çanakkale
Conference Presentations by burcin basyazici
Architectural Studies | Foundations • Positions • Words I. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS , 2023
Editorial Committee
Berna Göl (Chair),
Bahar Aktuna,
Cem Kum,
Burçin Başyazıcı.
Organizing... more Editorial Committee
Berna Göl (Chair),
Bahar Aktuna,
Cem Kum,
Burçin Başyazıcı.
Organizing Committee
Burçin Başyazıcı (Chair),
Berna Göl,
Giuseppe Resta,
Bahar Aktuna,
Şafak Cudi İnce
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Papers by burcin basyazici
academy. Those theories cover various theoretical models and methodologies, each contributing architectural theory in various scopes. Surprisingly, Marxist feminism which provides a theoretical model within the field of feminist studies is still not widely referenced in architectural studies, despite its foundation in the theory of household labor exploitation and reproduction of labor through space.
Marxist feminism introduces a novel perspective within the field of Marxism focuses on the labor of unemployed woman. Unfortunately, its spatial dimensions have been primarily studied by non-architects, with limited engagement of architectural scholars. Marxist feminism in architecture can be explored in various scales and questions by taking into consideration the spatial effects that are shaped by power
mechanism rooted the leadership of patriarchy. However, the invisible labor of the unemployed woman and its social reproduction remain overlooked in gender studies within architectural field. Hence, this study aims to revisit the Marxist feminism as a theoretical model and critically question the reproduction of home-space of unemployed woman. The reproduction process will be discussed not from a phenomenological or design-based perspective, but rather as the reproduction of space under the influence of the capitalist patriarchal society.
This study seeks to explore the home environment of unemployed women from social and architectural perspectives. It aims to investigate how they reproduce their labor based on space. To achieve this aim, the
study focuses on a case study including five unemployed women from different social classes who have never worked before, in Istanbul. In conclusion, the study proposes approaches for integration of Marxist feminist model into architectural criticism and vice versa.
in between 1946-1969, is considered one of
the unique architectural examples of Turkish
modernization period and stands out as one
of the most controversial buildings in Turkey.
Since it stands in Taksim Square, which is
also considered as the main public square
of Istanbul, the building has witnessed many
to historical public events –including Gezi
Protests- and has served as a showcase of the
city by its meticulously designed façade.
However, the building was demolished in
2018. After a series of sterile discussions and
protests, the government declared that AKM
will be re-built again by the son of the architect
who designed the original one. The new
architect who is also a well-known architect of
Turkey, declared that the façade of the building
which has borne witness to an age, will be kept.
This paper proposes to expose the architectural
and urban history of AKM by confronting the
concepts of the new and the old through the
same building. AKM will be taken as a case to
discuss the impact of a single building to the
history of a city by focusing on the following
questions; (i) what makes a building historical
and iconic for a city? (ii) Can a new building
represent the same meaning with the old even
if the two have same function and façade?
(iii) What are the effects of politicians and
architects to urban memory? Even though
the new building is under construction now,
previous versions of the building will be
presented through archival files and shared
documents of the related architecture firms.
The old and new press clippings will also help to
understand not only historical and architectural
but also sociological effects of the building on
the urban memory.
Conventionally, it is believed that knowledge sits in the brain and can be understood independent of the outside world, and has representative characteristics. Yet, with the development of new approaches to the thought processes, classical AI theories have been replaced by more complex theories which include both the body-embodied cognition-as a means of knowing and the environment-situated cognition-which the mind interacts with; and non-representative or other forms of representation of knowledge have been proposed. Moreover, knowledge and knowing are not identified with merely rational processes; sensations, dreams, imaginations, myths, and other ways of knowing also exist, and they are considered as different ways of knowing and sum up to what we call knowledge.
The motivation of this paper comes from two basic sources; one is interest in the non-representative or other than language representative qualities of architectural knowledge, and the other is a curiosity for different ways of knowing. When one becomes interested in those non-representative or non-linguistic characteristics, other sources of knowledge become a point of attention. And how this knowledge-which is definitely not explicit-is acquired, becomes another concern. Ottoman texts related to architecture, can be interpreted in the light of these two instruments. Object oriented and language driven knowledge of architectural objects can be replaced by knowledge of existences, which cannot be represented but experienced, e.g. maqams and music; or an abstract/symbolic representation of these existences in geometry or with numbers. These would in turn, refer to " lived-in " and " thought of " models of knowing.
We will discuss these two ways of learning and knowing through the dichotomy that Mehmed Aga experiences, first by musical education, then by being told that he should learn geometry, which we are informed about by Risale-i Mimariyye. [1] We will base our discussion on propositions of Tasawwuf (mysticism) philosophers, e.g. Kındî and Farabî. [2] Kındî's ontology explains the circular motion of spheres that generate a specific music, in other words, non-conceptual melodic units instead of a conceptual language being the base of a philosophical thought. The other representative yet not conceptual language of thought to our interest would be geometry. These two tools of thought and experience will be discussed as a potential source for other forms of knowledge and knowing in architecture.
“ideal”leştirmeye dayalı aklının etkisinde gelişmiştir. Platon’dan beri, düşüncenin baskın arayışlarından biri olan “ideal” kavramı, sonrasında pek çok düşünür tarafından da “iyi”, “güzel”, “ahlaklı” vb. olumlamalarla tarif edilmiş hatta “yüce” olana atfedilen bir özellik olmuştur. Benzer bir yaklaşım, mimarlığın tanım ve temsilinde de okunabilir; mimarlık da barınak olmanın ötesinde bir kavram olarak tanımlanmaya başlandığı Klasik Dünya’da “seçkin” ve “yüce” olana ulaşma temsillerinden biri olarak nesneleşmiştir. Ancak bu arayış, beklenildiği üzerine kendi ötekisini oluşturur. İdeal olan ile hesaplaşma, düşünce ve temsil düzleminde ideal olmayanı, yani “kötü”, “çirkin” ve “ahlaksız”ı doğurur. Bu kavramlar arasında en dışarıda bırakılanı ise niceliksel temsilinin tanımsızlığı ve “karşıtının” gücü sebebiyle “çirkinlik” kavramıdır. Bu çalışma, niteliksel bir yaklaşımla, kendini “seçkin” olanda tanımlayan mimarlığın ontolojisinde “çirkin”i, tanım ve temsil düzleminde arayacaktır. Öncelikle, “çirkin” ile tanışmak amacı ile çirkinin tasarım nesnesindeki yeri ve tanımı kısaca incelenecek, sonrasında mimarlığın ontolojisindeki yeri, kavramsal ve nesnel boyutta tartışılacaktır. Çalışmanın amacı mimarlıkta çirkinlik kavramı- nın kuramsal bir analizi olup, nesne üzerinden bir tanımlama hedeflenmemektedir. Çalışma kapsamında araç olarak, mimarlık bilgisinin kavramlarla kurduğu ilişkiyi inceleyen Eisenmann’ın çirkinlik kuramı referans alınmıştır. Bu bağlamda, çirkin”in mimarideki tanım ve temsilini Eisenmann’ın yaklaşımı ile kendi yapısı üzerinden incelemek için Alex Maymind’ın “Still UglyAfter All These Years: A Close Reading of Peter Eisenman’s Wexner Center” makalesi seçilmiştir. Bu okuma, mimaride “çirkin”in içerik ve temsil üzerinden karşılaştırılması imkânını araştırarak, mimarlığın ontolojisinde çirkinin nerede durduğu ve nasıl tartışıldığını anlamayı hedeflemektedir
Abstract: The representations of objects that based upon
aesthetic concerns are generally influenced from the idealization tendency of Classical Period. The concept of “ideal” which is one of the main pursuits of philosophy since Platon, defined by many philosophers as “good”, “beautiful” etc., and mostly attributed to the “supreme”. This tendency also can be observed in definition of architecture. In Classical Period when architecture was firstly defined as a “concept” beyond just being a shelter, it was a pre-eminent object and belongs to the supreme one. However, this pursuit also leads to the contrary concepts against. Dealing with the “ideal” leads to the “nonideal” which means “bad”, “ugly”, etc. in both theoretical and representative ground. However, the most excluded one among these “other” concepts is the “ugly” in terms of architectural theories. The aim of the study is analyzing the concept of ugly on the hypothetical ground of architecture instead of an objective description. Firstly, the existence and definition of “ugliness” in design object will be analyzed briefly to introduce to “ugly”. Secondly, this existence in ontology of architecture will be discussed on the conceptual and objective ground. To achieve this aim, Eisenmann’s definition of ugly in architecture will be used as the main source by referring his analysis the relation between concepts and products in architecture, In conclusion, by referring to Alex Maymind’s article “Still Ugly After All These Years: A Close Reading of Peter Eisenman’s Wexner Center”, the project of Wexner Center will be reinterpreted through the qualitative representation of ugliness in architecture.
Key Words: Ugliness, Pre-Eminent, Ideal, Peter Eisenmann,
Wexner Center
Günümüzde mimarlığın evrilegeldiği çerçevenin, daha önce duyarlı teknokrat rolü oynamak zorunda bırakılmış olan mimarı; moda, meşruiyet arayışı, “duyarlılık”, tüketim ve arzu nesnesi olma, meta fetişizmi, maske gibi kavramlar bütünü içerisindeki tutarsızlığı sorgulamaya ittiği ileri sürülebilir. Dolayısıyla çalışmada tanımlanan “noktasal / düzlemsel karşıtlığı” mimarı teatral pozisyondan etkin bir eylemci rolüne taşımak için araçsallaştırılmıştır.
Çalışmanın sonucunda, mimaride sürdürülebilirlik arayışlarının noktasal çözümlerden ibaret olduğu, düzlemsel yaklaşımın ise içinde bulunulan sistemin düzeninin farkındalığı ile mümkün olabileceği ileri sürülmüştür.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Sürdürülebilirlik, Moda, Kapitalizm
The aim of this paper is to make its readers re-think the notion of ‘sustainability in architecture’, whose popularity is rapidly increasing and which gradually transforms itself into an objective reality, by destructing the static nature of the concept and by revealing the inconsistencies of the concept itself. Along this discussion, the research commences with the question of “how did the notion of sustainability become a fashion?” and the discourse analysis of the concept of sustainability will be made through the notion of fashion that is an object of capitalizm in this paper with a critical perspective.
Today, it can be claimed that the framework, which architecture has been hitherto evolved, has pushed the architect who was formerly forced to act the role of the ‘sensitive technocrat’ to question the inconsitencies within the unity of the above-mentioned concepts such as fashion, a matter of legistimization, ‘sensitivity’, object of ‘consumption’ and ‘the desire’, the fetish of commodity, mask. Thus, the ‘dichotomy of pointwise-planewise’ that is defined in this paper will be instrumentalized for reposition the architect from his/her former status of acting towards a more activist role.
In conclusion, this study will attempt to demonstrate that the pursuit for sustainability of the architecture consists of pointwise solutions. It is set forth that the said is also possible with the awareness of a system layout with a planewise approach.
Key Words: Sustainability, Fashion, Capitalism
Thesis Chapters by burcin basyazici
Book Reviews by burcin basyazici
Books by burcin basyazici
Authors: Chad SCHWARTZ, Bahar AKTUNA, Ece CEYLAN BABA, Charlie HAILEY, Erdal KONDAKCI, Esra KARAHAN, Eren OKAR, Giuseppe RESTA, Berna GÖL, Burçin BAŞYAZICI
Design/build pedagogy has been transforming the educational landscape of Architecture programs in the world, specifically North America
and Europe, for many decades while it still remains uncommon and may
even be unheard of in architectural schools in Turkey.
Interested in its pedagogical and professional contributions, we organized a one-week design/build workshop at the Architecture Department of Yeditepe University in Summer 2022, where we invited an influential architectural scholar and practitioner from the University of
Florida School of Architecture, Charlie Hailey, to co-lead the workshop
and transfer his knowledge and best practices on design/build pedagogy,
theory, skills, and infrastructure. The workshop was held with a further
ten instructors, sixteen students, and an administrative staff from the
Architecture Department of Yeditepe University, where all the participants designed and built a dialogue field behind the Fine Arts Faculty
Building. The collaborative intervention was developed on steep land using pine lumber, screws, AAC blocks, and simple construction tools. The
resulting modest work of architecture was named Arka (Back/Rear) and
consisted of four parts: Üst (Top/Upper), Orta (Middle/Center), İskele
(Pier), and Ytong Parçacıklar (Ytong Pieces).
Conference Presentations by burcin basyazici
Berna Göl (Chair),
Bahar Aktuna,
Cem Kum,
Burçin Başyazıcı.
Organizing Committee
Burçin Başyazıcı (Chair),
Berna Göl,
Giuseppe Resta,
Bahar Aktuna,
Şafak Cudi İnce
academy. Those theories cover various theoretical models and methodologies, each contributing architectural theory in various scopes. Surprisingly, Marxist feminism which provides a theoretical model within the field of feminist studies is still not widely referenced in architectural studies, despite its foundation in the theory of household labor exploitation and reproduction of labor through space.
Marxist feminism introduces a novel perspective within the field of Marxism focuses on the labor of unemployed woman. Unfortunately, its spatial dimensions have been primarily studied by non-architects, with limited engagement of architectural scholars. Marxist feminism in architecture can be explored in various scales and questions by taking into consideration the spatial effects that are shaped by power
mechanism rooted the leadership of patriarchy. However, the invisible labor of the unemployed woman and its social reproduction remain overlooked in gender studies within architectural field. Hence, this study aims to revisit the Marxist feminism as a theoretical model and critically question the reproduction of home-space of unemployed woman. The reproduction process will be discussed not from a phenomenological or design-based perspective, but rather as the reproduction of space under the influence of the capitalist patriarchal society.
This study seeks to explore the home environment of unemployed women from social and architectural perspectives. It aims to investigate how they reproduce their labor based on space. To achieve this aim, the
study focuses on a case study including five unemployed women from different social classes who have never worked before, in Istanbul. In conclusion, the study proposes approaches for integration of Marxist feminist model into architectural criticism and vice versa.
in between 1946-1969, is considered one of
the unique architectural examples of Turkish
modernization period and stands out as one
of the most controversial buildings in Turkey.
Since it stands in Taksim Square, which is
also considered as the main public square
of Istanbul, the building has witnessed many
to historical public events –including Gezi
Protests- and has served as a showcase of the
city by its meticulously designed façade.
However, the building was demolished in
2018. After a series of sterile discussions and
protests, the government declared that AKM
will be re-built again by the son of the architect
who designed the original one. The new
architect who is also a well-known architect of
Turkey, declared that the façade of the building
which has borne witness to an age, will be kept.
This paper proposes to expose the architectural
and urban history of AKM by confronting the
concepts of the new and the old through the
same building. AKM will be taken as a case to
discuss the impact of a single building to the
history of a city by focusing on the following
questions; (i) what makes a building historical
and iconic for a city? (ii) Can a new building
represent the same meaning with the old even
if the two have same function and façade?
(iii) What are the effects of politicians and
architects to urban memory? Even though
the new building is under construction now,
previous versions of the building will be
presented through archival files and shared
documents of the related architecture firms.
The old and new press clippings will also help to
understand not only historical and architectural
but also sociological effects of the building on
the urban memory.
Conventionally, it is believed that knowledge sits in the brain and can be understood independent of the outside world, and has representative characteristics. Yet, with the development of new approaches to the thought processes, classical AI theories have been replaced by more complex theories which include both the body-embodied cognition-as a means of knowing and the environment-situated cognition-which the mind interacts with; and non-representative or other forms of representation of knowledge have been proposed. Moreover, knowledge and knowing are not identified with merely rational processes; sensations, dreams, imaginations, myths, and other ways of knowing also exist, and they are considered as different ways of knowing and sum up to what we call knowledge.
The motivation of this paper comes from two basic sources; one is interest in the non-representative or other than language representative qualities of architectural knowledge, and the other is a curiosity for different ways of knowing. When one becomes interested in those non-representative or non-linguistic characteristics, other sources of knowledge become a point of attention. And how this knowledge-which is definitely not explicit-is acquired, becomes another concern. Ottoman texts related to architecture, can be interpreted in the light of these two instruments. Object oriented and language driven knowledge of architectural objects can be replaced by knowledge of existences, which cannot be represented but experienced, e.g. maqams and music; or an abstract/symbolic representation of these existences in geometry or with numbers. These would in turn, refer to " lived-in " and " thought of " models of knowing.
We will discuss these two ways of learning and knowing through the dichotomy that Mehmed Aga experiences, first by musical education, then by being told that he should learn geometry, which we are informed about by Risale-i Mimariyye. [1] We will base our discussion on propositions of Tasawwuf (mysticism) philosophers, e.g. Kındî and Farabî. [2] Kındî's ontology explains the circular motion of spheres that generate a specific music, in other words, non-conceptual melodic units instead of a conceptual language being the base of a philosophical thought. The other representative yet not conceptual language of thought to our interest would be geometry. These two tools of thought and experience will be discussed as a potential source for other forms of knowledge and knowing in architecture.
“ideal”leştirmeye dayalı aklının etkisinde gelişmiştir. Platon’dan beri, düşüncenin baskın arayışlarından biri olan “ideal” kavramı, sonrasında pek çok düşünür tarafından da “iyi”, “güzel”, “ahlaklı” vb. olumlamalarla tarif edilmiş hatta “yüce” olana atfedilen bir özellik olmuştur. Benzer bir yaklaşım, mimarlığın tanım ve temsilinde de okunabilir; mimarlık da barınak olmanın ötesinde bir kavram olarak tanımlanmaya başlandığı Klasik Dünya’da “seçkin” ve “yüce” olana ulaşma temsillerinden biri olarak nesneleşmiştir. Ancak bu arayış, beklenildiği üzerine kendi ötekisini oluşturur. İdeal olan ile hesaplaşma, düşünce ve temsil düzleminde ideal olmayanı, yani “kötü”, “çirkin” ve “ahlaksız”ı doğurur. Bu kavramlar arasında en dışarıda bırakılanı ise niceliksel temsilinin tanımsızlığı ve “karşıtının” gücü sebebiyle “çirkinlik” kavramıdır. Bu çalışma, niteliksel bir yaklaşımla, kendini “seçkin” olanda tanımlayan mimarlığın ontolojisinde “çirkin”i, tanım ve temsil düzleminde arayacaktır. Öncelikle, “çirkin” ile tanışmak amacı ile çirkinin tasarım nesnesindeki yeri ve tanımı kısaca incelenecek, sonrasında mimarlığın ontolojisindeki yeri, kavramsal ve nesnel boyutta tartışılacaktır. Çalışmanın amacı mimarlıkta çirkinlik kavramı- nın kuramsal bir analizi olup, nesne üzerinden bir tanımlama hedeflenmemektedir. Çalışma kapsamında araç olarak, mimarlık bilgisinin kavramlarla kurduğu ilişkiyi inceleyen Eisenmann’ın çirkinlik kuramı referans alınmıştır. Bu bağlamda, çirkin”in mimarideki tanım ve temsilini Eisenmann’ın yaklaşımı ile kendi yapısı üzerinden incelemek için Alex Maymind’ın “Still UglyAfter All These Years: A Close Reading of Peter Eisenman’s Wexner Center” makalesi seçilmiştir. Bu okuma, mimaride “çirkin”in içerik ve temsil üzerinden karşılaştırılması imkânını araştırarak, mimarlığın ontolojisinde çirkinin nerede durduğu ve nasıl tartışıldığını anlamayı hedeflemektedir
Abstract: The representations of objects that based upon
aesthetic concerns are generally influenced from the idealization tendency of Classical Period. The concept of “ideal” which is one of the main pursuits of philosophy since Platon, defined by many philosophers as “good”, “beautiful” etc., and mostly attributed to the “supreme”. This tendency also can be observed in definition of architecture. In Classical Period when architecture was firstly defined as a “concept” beyond just being a shelter, it was a pre-eminent object and belongs to the supreme one. However, this pursuit also leads to the contrary concepts against. Dealing with the “ideal” leads to the “nonideal” which means “bad”, “ugly”, etc. in both theoretical and representative ground. However, the most excluded one among these “other” concepts is the “ugly” in terms of architectural theories. The aim of the study is analyzing the concept of ugly on the hypothetical ground of architecture instead of an objective description. Firstly, the existence and definition of “ugliness” in design object will be analyzed briefly to introduce to “ugly”. Secondly, this existence in ontology of architecture will be discussed on the conceptual and objective ground. To achieve this aim, Eisenmann’s definition of ugly in architecture will be used as the main source by referring his analysis the relation between concepts and products in architecture, In conclusion, by referring to Alex Maymind’s article “Still Ugly After All These Years: A Close Reading of Peter Eisenman’s Wexner Center”, the project of Wexner Center will be reinterpreted through the qualitative representation of ugliness in architecture.
Key Words: Ugliness, Pre-Eminent, Ideal, Peter Eisenmann,
Wexner Center
Günümüzde mimarlığın evrilegeldiği çerçevenin, daha önce duyarlı teknokrat rolü oynamak zorunda bırakılmış olan mimarı; moda, meşruiyet arayışı, “duyarlılık”, tüketim ve arzu nesnesi olma, meta fetişizmi, maske gibi kavramlar bütünü içerisindeki tutarsızlığı sorgulamaya ittiği ileri sürülebilir. Dolayısıyla çalışmada tanımlanan “noktasal / düzlemsel karşıtlığı” mimarı teatral pozisyondan etkin bir eylemci rolüne taşımak için araçsallaştırılmıştır.
Çalışmanın sonucunda, mimaride sürdürülebilirlik arayışlarının noktasal çözümlerden ibaret olduğu, düzlemsel yaklaşımın ise içinde bulunulan sistemin düzeninin farkındalığı ile mümkün olabileceği ileri sürülmüştür.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Sürdürülebilirlik, Moda, Kapitalizm
The aim of this paper is to make its readers re-think the notion of ‘sustainability in architecture’, whose popularity is rapidly increasing and which gradually transforms itself into an objective reality, by destructing the static nature of the concept and by revealing the inconsistencies of the concept itself. Along this discussion, the research commences with the question of “how did the notion of sustainability become a fashion?” and the discourse analysis of the concept of sustainability will be made through the notion of fashion that is an object of capitalizm in this paper with a critical perspective.
Today, it can be claimed that the framework, which architecture has been hitherto evolved, has pushed the architect who was formerly forced to act the role of the ‘sensitive technocrat’ to question the inconsitencies within the unity of the above-mentioned concepts such as fashion, a matter of legistimization, ‘sensitivity’, object of ‘consumption’ and ‘the desire’, the fetish of commodity, mask. Thus, the ‘dichotomy of pointwise-planewise’ that is defined in this paper will be instrumentalized for reposition the architect from his/her former status of acting towards a more activist role.
In conclusion, this study will attempt to demonstrate that the pursuit for sustainability of the architecture consists of pointwise solutions. It is set forth that the said is also possible with the awareness of a system layout with a planewise approach.
Key Words: Sustainability, Fashion, Capitalism
Authors: Chad SCHWARTZ, Bahar AKTUNA, Ece CEYLAN BABA, Charlie HAILEY, Erdal KONDAKCI, Esra KARAHAN, Eren OKAR, Giuseppe RESTA, Berna GÖL, Burçin BAŞYAZICI
Design/build pedagogy has been transforming the educational landscape of Architecture programs in the world, specifically North America
and Europe, for many decades while it still remains uncommon and may
even be unheard of in architectural schools in Turkey.
Interested in its pedagogical and professional contributions, we organized a one-week design/build workshop at the Architecture Department of Yeditepe University in Summer 2022, where we invited an influential architectural scholar and practitioner from the University of
Florida School of Architecture, Charlie Hailey, to co-lead the workshop
and transfer his knowledge and best practices on design/build pedagogy,
theory, skills, and infrastructure. The workshop was held with a further
ten instructors, sixteen students, and an administrative staff from the
Architecture Department of Yeditepe University, where all the participants designed and built a dialogue field behind the Fine Arts Faculty
Building. The collaborative intervention was developed on steep land using pine lumber, screws, AAC blocks, and simple construction tools. The
resulting modest work of architecture was named Arka (Back/Rear) and
consisted of four parts: Üst (Top/Upper), Orta (Middle/Center), İskele
(Pier), and Ytong Parçacıklar (Ytong Pieces).
Berna Göl (Chair),
Bahar Aktuna,
Cem Kum,
Burçin Başyazıcı.
Organizing Committee
Burçin Başyazıcı (Chair),
Berna Göl,
Giuseppe Resta,
Bahar Aktuna,
Şafak Cudi İnce