Papers by Afet Coskun
Open House International, 2017
Sustainable architecture is a well-known and studied subject for severeal decades. The environmen... more Sustainable architecture is a well-known and studied subject for severeal decades. The environmental awareness of professionals has put sustainability in the center of the profession of architecture and has resulted in introducing and implementing ecological designs both in the scale of buildings and cities. This article presents sustainable architecture criteria, reckons regional aspects, interprets vernacular architecture and, proposes sustainable housing unit models for Mediterranean region, specifically Cyprus. The article intends to study existing researches regarding the subject, reveals and updates key aspects on sustainable housing by focusing on the passive solar systems through proposals. The article contains proposals of an experimental and conceptual approach of a group of graduate studio course students who are architects and interior designers. The conceptual approaches of design proposals are sustainable through the usage of local materials, orientation, usage of pass...
Open House International, 2014
Cosmology is of essence for the life of traditional man not only to live in a meaningful universe... more Cosmology is of essence for the life of traditional man not only to live in a meaningful universe, but to bound himself with the universe to achieve well-being as well. Architecture is a way of creating spaces through generic forms and symbols to attain this unity of man and the universe. This article interprets the courtyard house which is a well known archetype of spiritual and celestial qualities and has symbolic generic forms through the perspective of theory and practice of feng shui which is an ancient Chinese philosophy, based on the understanding of physical configuration of geographical settings and application of its principles to the built environment. The courtyard houses represented for this article are chosen on a linear axis starting from Cyprus, passing through Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and ending at China. In this article, principles of feng shui are selected and formulated to create an evaluation model showing entrance-courtyard relation, bui...
Open House International 39(1):36-47, 2014
Abstrad Cosmology is of essence for the iife of traditional man not only to live in a meaningful ... more Abstrad Cosmology is of essence for the iife of traditional man not only to live in a meaningful universe, but to bound himself with the universe to achieve well-being as welt. Architecture is a way of creating spaces through generic forms and symbols to attain this unity of man and the universe. This article interprets the courtyard house which is a welt known archetype of spiritual and cetestial qualities and has symbolic generic forms through the perspective of theory and practice offeng shui which is an ancient Chinese philosophy, based on the understanding of physical configuration of geographical settings and application of its principles to the built environment. The courtyard houses represented for this article are chosen on a tinear axis starting from Cyprus, passing fhrough Syria, Iraq, tran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and ending at China, in this article, principles of feng shui are selected and formutated to create an evatuation model showing entrance-courtyard retation, building shape, water element, room arrangement, and door alignment and circulation. Based on this evaluation model, the essential aspects of well-being have been revealed through the elements of architecture. In that sense, this article presents the opportunities and possibities of an ideal plan tayout by bringing an awareness to the cosmology and feng shui to achieve wett-being.
Open House International, Vol. 42. No. 3. ISSN: 0168-2601, 2017
Sustainable architecture is a well-known and studied subject for severeal decades. The environmen... more Sustainable architecture is a well-known and studied subject for severeal decades. The environmental awareness o f pro fessionals has put sustainability in the center o f the profession o f architecture and has resulted in introducing and imple menting ecological designs both in the scale o f buildings and cities. This article presents sustainable architecture crite ria, reckons regional aspects, interprets vernacular architecture and, proposes sustainable housing unit models for Mediterranean region, specifically Cyprus. The article intends to study existing researches regarding the subject, reveals and updates key aspects on sustainable housing by focusing on the passive solar systems through proposals. The arti cle contains proposals o f an experimental and conceptual approach o f a group o f graduate studio course students who are architects and interior designers. The conceptual approaches of design proposals are sustainable through the usage o f local materials, orientation, usage o f passive solar systems, natural ventilation and lighting, hence these proposals are intended to create a diversity. In that sense, this article presents possibilities o f ideal plan layouts and facades for sustainable architectural housing units in Mediterranean region, Cyprus, based on the revealed key aspects on sus tainability. The originality o f the article is on the design proposals that take inspiration from the characteristics o f ver nacular architecture, but show a contemporary approach o f design.
Humanities and Social Sciences Review ISSN: 2165-6258 :: Volume 01 :: Number 03 (2012), 2012
This paper explains the influence of Feng Shui models on the design of contemporary buildings fro... more This paper explains the influence of Feng Shui models on the design of contemporary buildings from an architectural perspective. Feng Shui principles are strictly set principles to allow the flow of chi in the buildings and are used to harmonize people with their environment. These principles are as guidelines and expressed as external and internal principles. Emphasizing the external principles manifested the ideal Feng Shui model of receiving chi. Through natural formation of land and the influence of surrounding environment, these Feng Shui principles were applied in a manner that raised a question if they influence the architectural design of the buildings or not. Three buildings designed by different architects in different styles have been selected for this study to assess in the perspective of architectural design and Feng Shui. These are Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters in Hong Kong designed by Lord Norman Foster, Getty Center in Los Angeles, USA designed by Richard Meier and Sydney Opera House in Australia designed by Jorn Utzon. Manifestation of Feng Shui principles in the design of the selected famous buildings designed by the pioneers of architecture, this study shows that the strictly set Feng Shui principles do not put boundaries on the architectural design. This study differs from the others in a manner that pulls attention not only to the influence of Feng Shui on the design in terms of human well being, but also on the architectural style of the building.
Keywords: Contemporary architecture, Architectural design, Feng shui.
Humanities and Social Sciences Review, Vol. 3. No. 4. 2165-6258., 2015
Architecture, which in its most basic description creates space for human habitation, should take... more Architecture, which in its most basic description creates space for human habitation, should take the human being as the core of initiation in order to be successful. In this respect, since the beginning of this profession, theories and philosophies have continuously evolved. All ideas in these terms and all described building forms in architecture are efforts to provide better living environments, and thus, conditions to improve the quality of life of human beings in the architecture created. Changes over time, including various world events-economical, social and political-affect the needs of human beings with regard to the spaces they use, which in turn require continuous updating. The main task of architecture is to create relevant spaces for people for determined functions. Together with the factors mentioned above, aspects like culture, social behavior patterns and lifestyle, as well as materials, production techniques and structural systems, are also causes of the ever-changing nature of architecture, just like life itself. Throughout this continuous evolution and change, architecture has had as its primary objective the creative organization of materials and forms. This creative process is ultimately part of a mutual relationship with the aforementioned parameters. Feng-shui, on the other hand, is closely relative to the natural environment-a relationship based on the empirical observation of the land form consistent with the flow of chi (living energy) in nature to achieve well being. The aim of this study is to interpret the aspects of "living well" in created architecture from the feng-shui perspective.
Conference Presentations by Afet Coskun
ENHR , 2021
Throughout history, transformations in social, political, economic, and health situations have in... more Throughout history, transformations in social, political, economic, and health situations have influenced the reformations in family structures that follow the changes in work positions of women and men, and have also determined each era's expected gender roles. In this regard, this qualitative exploratory study has examined the issue of gendered privacy within the plans of family houses starting from the 1930s and continuing until 2020, in order to trace the marks of social changes in family structures and the embedded gender roles that were reflected upon domestic spaces' spatial arrangement. The prime motive of the study was to provoke a discussion about home by speculating on the "Post-Capitalist Family House," as well as to define the new "life-from-home" lifestyle, which is assumed to demand different types of privacy between adults as a new productive way of living that can help people adapt to the ongoing uncertainties.
İÇLİS, 2020
The successful experience for a visitor inside a museum can be reached when she/ he realized the ... more The successful experience for a visitor inside a museum can be reached when she/ he realized the whole message behind the journey through all museums' halls. The design of the museums has an important role in the realization of the information provided by the displayed items at the exhibition halls. At this point, studying the pathways in relation to the general layout plan of the museums is significant. The problem of the crowds and gathering that happen during peak days on the pathways affects the observation process. The difficulty to reach and identify displayed items is one of the results. Waiting time cited also as a negative impact on the visitors' journey. How the pathways can be avoided by the crowd's issues and how the spatial organization of the museums affect the pathways are two critical questions. This paper focuses on Sharjah city that was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1998, and through museums, Sharjah has kept alive the spirit of its history. Museum of Islamic Civilization and Sharjah Calligraphy Museum are the two case studies located in the heritage area in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The methodology is qualitative & data analysis by comparing two case studies in the focus of analyzing the organization of the layout considering the pathway pattern.
İÇLİS, 2020
The future of the built environment is predictable. Nowadays people are more experienced to use n... more The future of the built environment is predictable. Nowadays people are more experienced to use new technologies in their daily life and the technology industry is growing very fast. Developments in IT and new technologies are known as a key influence on the future of buildings. Developments of technology may make changes in space, facilities, user, materials, and construction. When a building is adaptable to the new changes, it delays the urge to build a new building and decrease building demolitions and obsolesce. Moreover, these processes are not sustainable and make environmental risks. There is a lack of literature over discovering adaptable potentials of an existing building that were not designed adaptable, especially when technology developments are changing the functions and spaces. This study aims to analyze the adaptability of residential buildings to find adaptive potentials which are useful for future technological upgrades. The predicted future of the built environment, which is known as smart/intelligent building, is considered as the origin of change. This study reviews recent academic literature related to building adaptability, intelligent and smart buildings. Furthermore, features of smart/intelligent buildings are categorized and recent residential projects in Famagusta, North Cyprus are analyzed according to the features as the case study.
İÇLİS, 2023
Courtyard housing is one of the oldest forms of domestic development spanning at least 5,000 year... more Courtyard housing is one of the oldest forms of domestic development spanning at least 5,000 years and occurring in a distinctive form in many regions of the world. Traditionally associated with the Middle East where climate and culture have given shape to a particular type of courtyard housing, the courtyard as a house plan type exists extensively from China to Morocco (Edwards, Sibley, Hakmi, & Land, 2005).
İÇLİS , 2023
In the modern multicultural world where migration lifestyle is a phenomenon and crowded cities ha... more In the modern multicultural world where migration lifestyle is a phenomenon and crowded cities have lots of negative effects on life, even for locals, nature is vital element that they stay attached to physically and emotionally. On the other hand, modern lifestyle also plays an essential role in segregating humans from the natural environment. Considering the current 'construction boom' on the island of Cyprus, the increase in population has a significant influence on people’s lives. Moreover, stress and anxiety are rising while the quality of life decreases because of the lack of comfort, nature and cultural entities in new apartments. In any case, the increase of housing in Famagusta region has been a problem. Although it is a student city, due to the city's expensive housing prices, families who cannot afford a detached house have turned to residential flats. This study aims to archive and give a list of recommendations about how to use Biophilic design elements in relation to therapy and nature in order to improve the quality of life inside modern residential interiors in Cyprus. The methodology of the study is qualitative and quantitative on the selected case studies via interviews and surveys on occupants (local and immigrant) and author observations held with seven apartments selected by several limitations, located in Famagusta, which is a port city historically and economically vital place in North Cyprus. Firstly, a literature review was conducted on the keywords of this study, followed by a review of various unique international cases (figure1). Later on, a study conducted via a questionnaire and structured interviews with 10 people from each project of the 6 largest companies in Famagusta (Figure 2) and Deniz Yıldızı Apartments (Figure 3). However, this study will focus on only four selected apartment buildings. The purpose of this research is to raise awareness about the importance of natural features in design and to provide a solid source for future research, approaches that might enable the designer to comprehend the significant stimulating influence of natural factors on diverse people. This research then intends to reveal some additional data with the goal of addressing more aspects of the positive and negative effects of natural entities as well as give a list of recommendations how to use natural elements to improve living standards in upcoming projects of Famagusta city. The findings show that participants feel better with natural elements integrated into the design and seek the positive effects of nature while avoiding the negative effects that could decrease their quality of life. In conclusion, this study indicates that there is a need for more natural entities to be integrated into designs and more observation and analysis to implement them successfully to improve and enrich occupants' quality of life and well-being.
CURRENT ISSUES IN INTERIORS SYMPOSIUM, 2024
This study aims to investigate how residents interact with courtyard houses, focusing on the hous... more This study aims to investigate how residents interact with courtyard houses, focusing on the houses in Damascus, to show how architecture conveys and communicates symbols, especially in courtyard houses. The research addresses the lack of awareness of the interactive meaning of courtyard houses, although research already exists on their cultural, climatic, architectural and religious aspects. It aims to emphasize the need to understand the interactive potential of these houses, which is enriched by their symbolic elements. This study examines the significance of the symbolic interaction of Damascus courtyard houses within the framework found in Smith and Bugni's study, by analyzing how the architectural elements contain a code and function as symbols for preserving existing thought and conduct, conveying control, promoting change (Smith & Bugni, 2006). Insights will be gained into the interplay between the built environment and society in the context of Damascene courtyard houses. In addition, observations will be conducted on two selected houses in Damascus to identify the elements present in the courtyard houses that users can interact with. This research aims to investigate how residents interact with the courtyard houses, with a focus on the houses in Damascus. The main findings of the study emphasize the role of architecture in conveying symbols and messages in courtyard houses, especially in Damascus. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the way architectural elements shape interactions in these spaces. The study concludes that courtyard houses in Damascus, like similar architectural structures, serve as repositories of symbolic meaning and facilitate various forms of interaction. The study contributes to this theme by emphasizing the need to explore the interactive potential of architectural spaces, especially courtyard houses. It emphasizes the importance of combining interaction theory with architectural analysis to gain insights into how architecture conveys symbols and messages.
AMPS Proceeding Series, 2024
In today's diverse world, where migration and crowded urban life pose challenges, nature remains ... more In today's diverse world, where migration and crowded urban life pose challenges, nature remains a mutual element that people connect with physically and emotionally. Cyprus, a Mediterranean island with a rich cultural history, has faced the impact of migration while struggling with architectural challenges in adopting apartment living. This study aims to offer practical biophilic design solutions for improving living conditions in North Cyprus's expanding cities.
The research, using qualitative and quantitative methods, involves interviews and surveys with local and immigrant occupants. Four apartments in Famagusta, a historically vital city in North Cyprus, are selected for study. The goal is to address the negative effects of apartment living on families and provide insights into better living environments.
Uploads
Papers by Afet Coskun
Keywords: Contemporary architecture, Architectural design, Feng shui.
Conference Presentations by Afet Coskun
The research, using qualitative and quantitative methods, involves interviews and surveys with local and immigrant occupants. Four apartments in Famagusta, a historically vital city in North Cyprus, are selected for study. The goal is to address the negative effects of apartment living on families and provide insights into better living environments.
Keywords: Contemporary architecture, Architectural design, Feng shui.
The research, using qualitative and quantitative methods, involves interviews and surveys with local and immigrant occupants. Four apartments in Famagusta, a historically vital city in North Cyprus, are selected for study. The goal is to address the negative effects of apartment living on families and provide insights into better living environments.