dc.description.abstract
The aim of this study is to contribute to the development of sustainable (mass) housing quality in Turkey. Sustainable housing design should be expressed through exciting projects that conserve, create energy and inspire. They must also be coherent, dynamic and liveable. Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life and housing for today and generations to come. There is a strong relationship between sustainability and quality. Sustainable buildings not only have a less harmful effect on the environment, but they also improve architectural quality with a holistic approach. The provision of a higher quality of life is a substantial challenge. Designing a better quality residential area can contribute to improving quality of life because a change in lifestyle cannot be imposed, but it can be encouraged by good design1. Achieving a good quality sustainable residential design depends on the harmony of different indicators. This design should have a holistic approach, which encompasses technical, functional, social and aesthetic qualities, and considers the limitation of energy resources. Sustainability and liveability practices in developed countries, especially European countries, have provided significant progress towards good quality residential projects. In this way, Europe has managed to take important steps to offer everyone equal, liveable and sustainable spaces. Importantly, previous mistakes have been seen as significant issues to be considered and corrected. Hence, political actions and infrastructural developments have been based on the norms of sustainability and future viability. In Turkey, concerns about sustainability and good housing quality have not yet reached the same level as that in Europe, in terms of either social awareness or planning and construction regulations. The aim of this study is to seek planning strategies and concepts of sustainable housing projects, and to create proposals with a guideline, which defines a high quality housing complex (`toplu konut- in Turkish) 1 Edwards, B., Turrent, D., Sustainable Housing: Principles and Practice, E&FN Spon, London 2000. using a holistic approach of sustainability. The intent is to contribute to the development of housing projects in Turkey, which according to the perception of the writer has lower quality than Viennese housing examples. By evaluating and comparing housing in Vienna, Austria and Konya, Turkey, the current level of residential quality in different cities of Turkey and in Vienna are demonstrated in relation to holistic sustainable architecture including social-functional and aesthetic qualities, as well as energy performance. Vienna, which was voted seven times as the most liveable city of the world and the capital of Austria is used as a benchmark country. It follows high EU standards and provides fair opportunities for its society. Hence, the writer thinks that it is a perfect choice to be an example for the identification of potential improvements and weaknesses in (mass) housing, and to determine a suitable model of good quality sustainable housing for Turkey. Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate that sustainability is a solution to provide holistic architecture, and develops a framework (SHQ) with the criteria of sustainable housing quality in the light of holistic thinking to achieve better sustainable housing quality (in Turkey). These guiding criteria for sustainable housing quality facilitate the implementation of indicators, which each architect should consider regarding qualities of sustainability and for a holistic approach to the housing settlements in order to ensure a practical dimension which has remained in theory until now. To provide this goal, the Viennese -Wohnsiedlungen-2 are taken as an exemplary reference which have more improved quality standards and more sustainable according to the hypothesis of the writer. Additionally, some examples of policies and best practices that might help guide the process of improvement, have been presented. In addition, the findings provide a basis for certain proposals on planning new high quality residential areas in Turkey within the determined criteria of sustainable housing, which form holistic architecture. The proposals target actors involved in the building process, especially architects and governmental policies. Furthermore, the case studies are evaluated using these criteria, demonstrating how best practices are to be implemented. The focus of this research is on -middle-class housing-, not on -luxury housing-. The case studies are chosen from current housing complexes built after 2008.
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