A|Z ITU JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE

Material innovations in contemporary practice

2024-07-30T20:12:02+03:00

Plumbing waste reduction through lean tools: A case for high-rise building construction

2023-12-05T19:19:18+03:00

Global construction of high-rise buildings is on the rise due to the shortage of land. Plumbing work significantly contributes to the overall waste generated in high-rise construction projects. Recognizing lean tools for waste reduction in construction is essential to minimize waste generated through plumbing work. Therefore, this research aimed to propose lean tools to minimize the plumbing waste of high-rise buildings in Sri Lanka. This research adopted ontological, idealist assumptions in the interpretive paradigm for the study to collect, analyse and validate data. The data collection was done by using a qualitative approach consisting of three Delphi rounds with construction industry experts selected through purposive sampling. Manual content analysis facilitated to analyse the data. This study identified various types of plumbing waste and assessed the potential of the lean concept to mitigate waste in plumbing work during the construction stage. Just in time, 5S, Value stream mapping, Last planner system, and Frist run study were acknowledged as the most commonly used lean tools to minimise plumbing waste. There is dearth of literature on use of lean tools to reduce plumbing waste in high-rise building construction. This is one of the first studies which focus specifically on the use of lean tools to minimise plumbing waste in high-rise building projects in Sri Lanka. The findings can be further validated using case studies for similar context, which will be the next phase of this study.

Employee motivation in construction industry: Effects of Covid-19

2023-11-24T18:27:18+03:00

Employee motivation plays an important role in organizational management research since there is ample evidence highlighting the strong links between motivation and productivity. Although a number of research have focused on the wider effects of Covid-19 on the construction industry, no attempts have been made to investigate its impacts on employee motivation. The main objectives of the present research are (1) to identify and prioritize motivational factors that affect job satisfaction and commitment of construction employees in the post-Covid era, (2) to reveal the challenges that have negatively affected employee motivation during the pandemic and, (3) to investigate employee attitudes and perceptions towards remote working. To achieve this objective, a structured survey questionnaire strategy was adopted. Results reveal that prominent motivators common in research undertaken in the pre-Covid era such as personal growth/career development and salary have fallen behind other factors in the order of importance. Instead, employee motivation in the post-Covid world appears to be mostly driven by intrinsic factors directly related to the work itself such as job satisfaction, the variety and scope of the work, followed by good physical working conditions and good relationship with superiors. It was also observed that motivation highly depends on personal factors such as age, education level, gender, culture, experience, job and occupation level of employees. The results of the present study are important for managers in understanding motivators in the new era that the pandemic has created and thus in designing effective organizational policies for increased motivation and productivity.

Environment's effect on user behaviour in campus public spaces

2024-01-02T22:04:41+03:00

Campus life has a significant impact on pupils. An individual’s environment should be imbued with social sustainability characteristics and practices. Social sustainability includes human actions in relation to the built and natural environments. A more profound comprehension of the interactions between humans and their environment would help us identify the demands that must be met without sacrificing the other person’s well-being. The primary goal of the research is to understand user sitting behavior in a setting using Integral Theory. The approach utilized for determining the quality of the setting is Observer Based Environment Assessments (OBEA). The environment chosen is the campus pathways of NIT Tiruchirappalli; user sitting behaviour has been mapped; user perception is being acquired through surveys; and activities in the environment are differentiated by integral theory. The study makes three precise predictions about observed sitting behavior in the specific setting. The survey examined the setting’s quality in relation to user perception and suggested that there is a direct correlation between the setting’s quality and the activity along the pathways. The integral theory emphasizes the factors that guarantee activity in a specific location. The paper explains how responding to the user’s demands would foster a sense of ownership in the setting while positively affecting the surroundings.

From urban planning instruments to produced urban forms: Analysis of the eastern extension of Oran (Algeria)

2023-08-01T23:27:55+03:00

This article starts from an observation, that of an urban and architectural production in the eastern periphery of Oran which is strongly criticized. In this research, we examine the choices that governed the urban development of Oran, favoring the production of large complexes. We highlight the excesses that result from the quantitative option chosen by public authorities to the detriment of urban form. Thus, the examination of the process of urban development as well as the urban forms produced in the eastern extension of Oran constitute the problem addressed in this article. Based on morphological analysis, we were interested in the components of urban space. Town planning documents, city maps, aerial images, photographs, on-site observation were used to carry out our research work.
The main gaps in urban production in the eastern periphery of Oran lie in the manufacturing of urban extension, then in detailed urban development. Indeed, recent urbanization, even if it is framed by urban planning documents, namely the Master Plan for Development and Urban Planning (PDAU) of Oran and the various Land Use Plans (POS) which result from it, seems to escape the logic of the coherent city in the sense that the city develops according to overall provisions guaranteeing homogeneous treatment. Even if we admit that these town planning documents are necessary for planning, they remain largely

A proposal for a method to calculate the adaptive reuse potentials of structures by using artificial neural networks

2024-02-09T15:54:08+03:00

Adaptive reuse involves repurposing existing structures that have outlived their original purpose, preserving cultural heritage while addressing contemporary needs. This approach offers numerous benefits, including economic advantages, environmental sustainability and the protection of cultural heritage. Recycled buildings enhance the character and aesthetics of cities, fostering social vibrancy. However, successful adaptive reuse requires a careful assessment of a structure’s potential. Artificial neural networks, with their data mining capabilities and potential for learning from data, can effectively evaluate complex reuse potential scenarios. This study employs artificial neural networks to calculate adaptive reuse potential, regardless of a structure’s original function, promoting sustainable building practices.

The Tower of Belisarius: A case study of a Byzantine ruin during the Ottoman period

2024-01-30T21:16:27+03:00

The Tower of Belisarius was constructed on the rocky seafloor at the mouth of the Port of Theodosius in Constantinople. In contrast to standard monumental urban structures, it formed one of the most striking maritime “landmarks,” representing
a fixed point in the harbor installation. Using the tower as a case study, this article provides an overview of how a Byzantine structure surrounded by the sea survived in İstanbul until the end of the nineteenth century. Its principal argument is that the structure preserved its residual form over time, even after a large-scale urban development project in the 1760s which reshaped the landscape in which the tower was located. The article combines primary sources and comparative publications with historical maps to locate the tower’s original position, first at the mouth of the Port of Theodosius and then in the infilled harbor site outside Langa Yenikapı. By adopting a diachronic viewpoint, it addresses a set of related issues: the tower’s location in the harbor’s configuration; the construction of the apocryphal story of Belisarius and its association with the tower; and finally, the structure’s integration into the built-up area and how razing it to the ground.

Evaluations on the current and future of housing renewal areas: A design studio simulation

2024-02-12T21:15:52+03:00

This research simulates the potential evolution of the physical development of a specific region in the Kağıthane district of Istanbul based on current zoning plans and regulations. It further delves into how specific urban life quality criteria might correlate with potential spatial configurations using the space syntax method, providing foresight into future developments. The primary goal of this research is to determine how urban housing patterns might evolve and to promote greater awareness for future research endeavors. The study is carried out in two phases. The first step involves data collection through observations and simulation within the studio’s framework. The second phase focuses on the processing and analysis of the collected data, focusing on the quantifiable aspects of urban quality. The simulations were analyzed using the Space Syntax method and the depthMapX program, an application tool designed for this method.
The analysis revealed that the city block scale simulation exhibited the lowest integration values for the street networks. This is perceived as a reduction in the likelihood of residents encountering or interacting with each other, a factor deemed crucial in fostering and sustaining neighborly relations. Additionally, the city block scale spatial formations indicated an increase in all-line analysis values. This suggests a decrease in spatial closedness-definitionality in city block-scale form. Consequently, there is an anticipation of an outdoor formation that may lack a strong definition, have a hierarchical structure, and present a particular spatial perception.

Parameters for remaking home interiors in forced migration: An example of Syrians living in Sultanbeyli

2023-10-03T14:05:19+03:00

Since March 2011, Turkey has hosted millions of Syrians, who have been subjected to forced migration due to the civil war and conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic. Most Syrians living in Turkey have settled in disadvantaged areas of big cities, such as shantytowns or slums. This study focuses on displaced Syrians living in the district of Sultanbeyli, which is an old slum area that hosts the highest number of Syrians on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, and discusses Syrians’ homemaking process for home interiors. The aim of this study is to reveal the parameters for Syrian’s remaking home interiors. The case study was conducted in the home environments of 18 Syrian families belonging to middle- or low-income groups who voluntarily participated. Data were collected using visual and ethnographic methods. Photographs, drawings, mapping, and annotated diagrams were used in the analysis of visual data, and content analysis was used for interview questions. Thus, the data were obtained regarding family structure, lifestyle, activities, spatial organization, furniture layout, needs, preferences, choices, and desires for home interiors. The results revealed that cultural, social, behavioral, psychological, spatial, aesthetic, symbolic, and economic parameters play an important role in the process of remaking home interiors for displaced Syrians. The study will expand the sharing of knowledge and experience for future studies in terms of rethinking the design, meaning, and use of home in forced migration. It will also contribute to the literature with a case study from Turkey.

Late Ottoman Mardin houses: Stylistic tendencies in facade decoration and artistic encounters

2024-01-18T08:25:06+03:00

In the late Ottoman era in Mardin, from the second half of the 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century, wealthy Muslims and non-Muslims, administrative elites, and local aristocrats constructed a significant number of lavish mansions. These houses were adorned with expensive and remarkable limestone carvings and architectural ornaments. After the Ottoman reforms, the leading actors of the cosmopolitan community showcased their elevated social status by decorating the southern facades of their houses that faced the Mesopotamian plain.

This article examines the decorative program and repertoire of 50 late Ottoman house facades in Mardin and identifies the stylistic tendencies in the overall design concept by formal analysis. The applied decorative program of architectural elements and the ornamental motif repertoire are classified, resulting in the identification of two stylistic tendencies. The first style is based on Islamic medieval decorative language derived from the region’s historical heritage, mainly from the early Christian and Artuqid periods, while the second style involves an intensive
Ottoman revival neo-classic decorative vocabulary imported from Istanbul. The facades of Mardin houses, as such, display an autonomy that distinguishes them from the other houses in the region. The study, respectively, addresses the relationship between decorative styles and artistic encounters and takes into account the context of social, political, and ethno-religious developments.

Evaluation of alternative construction methods for architectural additive manufacturing applications

2023-11-24T18:16:43+03:00

The development of various construction robots has transformed the architectural landscape, facilitating the design and construction of more unique structures through the implementation of diverse designs. This study explores 13 architectural building applications constructed using the additive construction method, comparing them with traditional construction methods as alternatives. Initial steps involved establishing critical criteria for the construction process through extensive literature review and expert consultations. The significance of these criteria was determined using fuzzy Shannon’s Entropy Based on Alpha Level, identifying considerations paramount during the construction phase. Subsequently, the importance degrees of these criteria were instrumental in evaluating potential construction methods for each architectural application using the Fuzzy TOPSIS method, renowned for its efficacy. Findings prioritize building size, construction time, and cost for the architectural applications under review. The comparative analysis revealed that 6 out of the 13 applications constructed with the additive method would benefit more from alternative methods, with the Wood Skeleton method emerging as the superior alternative, closely followed by Concrete Pouring with Mold. Incorporating Fuzzy Shannon’s Entropy and the Fuzzy TOPSIS method, it offers a more nuanced and comprehensive assessment of various construction techniques. Furthermore, the study’s focus on key criteria such as building size, construction time, and cost aligns closely with the industry’s evolving priorities, emphasizing efficiency and sustainability. The findings underscore the need for a more adaptive and selective application of construction technologies and setting a new benchmark for future studies in construction method optimization that blend traditional techniques with cutting-edge decision-making tools.

Graduation projects within interior architecture education in Turkey: Limits, possibilities, prospects

2024-03-11T07:53:46+03:00

Graduation project in interior architecture education is the final step in which candidates use the theoretical knowledge they acquired throughout their bachelor’s education and create solutions in the face of the most comprehensive design problems. It is the threshold for interior architect candidates who will participate in interior architecture professional practice. This study questions interior architecture education in Turkey through a thorough investigation of the graduation projects of universities and creates a framework within different approaches and common tendencies between departments. In the first phase of the research, a comprehensive data collection was made from the Turkish Higher Education Council Database, competition booklets of the MEKAN Competition, the web pages as well as YouTube and Instagram accounts of the interior architecture departments of the universities in Turkey. In the second phase, content analysis was conducted by three independent researchers through deciphering the transcripts of in-depth interviews with 13 selected academics. A total of 374 minutes of video recording was converted into texts. “System and Resources”, “Competence” and “Context” were collected from the deciphering of these interviews with academics with qualitative coding. The mutual aspects of the academics’ discourses were grouped to provide a concrete structure of different perspectives and insights on graduation projects and interior architecture education in Turkey. Together with the graduation projects, interior architecture education in Turkey is evaluated collectively by using these mutual themes. Limits, possibilities, and prospects which are derived from the findings are presented via recommendations towards the education of interior architecture in Turkey.

Creating a journey map canvas for healthcare service design: Cesarean section as an example

2024-01-30T21:27:46+03:00

Designing effective healthcare services can be challenging due to the multi-component nature of the healthcare context. Therefore, designers and design researchers in the healthcare field use various methods and tools to create solutions for healthcare services. Accordingly, the journey mapping method has a wide range of potential, from identifying gaps in care to understanding the needs of healthcare recipients and is increasingly being used to provide a holistic view of the care service delivery. However, there are few studies documenting the method, and the lack of standardization in its use leads to confusion. This article presents a journey map canvas to provide an overview of healthcare delivery. The study demonstrates how to create and use a journey map canvas through a case study of cesarean section under regional anesthesia, using a mixed-methods approach that integrates online narratives and semi-structured interviews. The canvas aims to aid designers, design researchers, and healthcare professionals in analyzing and improving a healthcare recipient’s experience. It provides the necessary knowledge and understanding, although it only represents a comprehensive analysis of the case study’s service delivery and may be applicable in other contexts.

Actual material virtual materiality: Multiplicity of locality-based exhibition

2023-12-21T08:58:24+03:00

This study aims to demonstrate actual-virtual multiplication in the context of spatial operations in locality-based architectural exhibitions. Exhibitions are curatorial activities that provoke discourse. Architectural exhibition also means operating actual-virtual objects through relational multiplication. Multiplication is to perceive objects not as singular but as multiple various entities. The multiplication operation in exhibitions must be further explored, especially in exhibitions involving objects with various layer depths. As one of the local materials in Indonesian architectural practice, soil has various profoundness in the locality context. The ‘Tanahku Indonesia’ exhibition is the case study, a national-scale exhibition of local material-based exhibitions. The breakdown of the case study focuses on its actual-virtual elements, operations, and relations. Terms actual in an exhibition can indicate the direct artifact element. In contrast, virtual can suggest artificial, indirect, and multiplicative representation methods. The study offers three concepts. First, actual material can be a portal to virtual materiality. Second, multiplications of objects and materials reveal various spatial operations in an exhibition. Third, the connection between exhibitions is a multistage multiplication process of spatial design. Exhibition spatial construction has various interrelated actual-virtual multiplication operations that become a potential for future design basis.

Video sharing as a user tactic of empowerment: Analysis of social media videos featuring users’ actions on everyday objects

2024-02-16T06:31:00+03:00

This study centers on TikTok videos, which serve as a medium for users to express their active interactions with products. These videos offer insights into users’ everyday lives and practices, yet design researchers find challenges in recognizing this content due to its unique verbal and visual language, which is distinct from conventional design terminology and literature. This paper highlights the user-empowering videos while emphasizing their capacity to hold innovative design ideas. The primary goal is to familiarize design researchers with this content and enhance its visibility and recognition. To achieve this goal, we address the question: How do users express their experiences of active product use in TikTok videos? In a systematic TikTok search, using a balanced set of everyday objects as keywords, 79 videos were gathered that demonstrate an active user-product relationship. Video content analysis was employed, leading to the identification of six themes that describe the expression ways of active use: “exposing,” “exploring,” “suggesting,” “making,” “testing,” and “narrating.” The themes reveal a broad spectrum of content, from vocal product critiques to unique design experiments. The study shows that seemingly unrelated content can contain implicit meanings with valuable information about design and use. Contrary to the embracing approaches of conventional user-centered design, the videos include peer criticism, where users criticize the actions of other users. By enabling users to exchange information independently, videos on TikTok empower users and carry the potential to be a continuously expanding and up-to-date data pool that could be used in design research.