ARC 463 Architecture for Social ChangeMEF UniversityDegree Programs ArchitectureGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy Statement
Architecture
Bachelor Length of the Programme: 4 Number of Credits: 240 TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF: Level 6

ECTS Course Information Package

School/Faculty/Institute Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture
Course Code ARC 463
Course Title in English Architecture for Social Change
Course Title in Turkish Sosyal Değişim için Mimarlık
Language of Instruction EN
Type of Course Ters-yüz öğrenme
Level of Course İleri
Semester Fall
Contact Hours per Week
Lecture: 3 Recitation: - Lab: - Other: -
Estimated Student Workload 126 hours per semester
Number of Credits 5 ECTS
Grading Mode Standard Letter Grade
Pre-requisites ARC 202 - Architectural Design IV | INT 202 - Interior Design II
ARC 202 - Architectural Design IV | INT 202 - Interior Design II
Co-requisites None
Expected Prior Knowledge 4 semesters of design studio
Registration Restrictions Only Undergraduate Students
Overall Educational Objective To discuss and work on the possibilities of alternative and collective processes that will raise awareness of community related issues in the practice of architecture.
Course Description This elective course will search for ways to instrumentalize architecture to create a social awareness, to discuss problems and to diversify their solutions. Existing practices will be examined in the titles of organization, place, actor, tools, method, material and resource and a discussion ground will be builded which is fed with readings / researches. The lectures will provide an opportunity to develop creative actions for problem identification and molding public opinion, and to explore possibilities for in-situ / collective production.

Course Learning Outcomes and Competences

Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) understand architecture as a social practice, increase social awareness;
2) know different ways of doing architectural practices;
3) read urban / rural conditions and transformations in the context of architecture;
4) instrumentalize design for social benefit;
5) frame the problems and produce temporary / permanent solutions;
6) design creative actions;
7) develop design language and tools for in situ and collective production.
Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1) Ability to read, write and speak effectively in Turkish and English, equivalent to a B2 European Language Passport Level in English.
2) Ability to question and interpret ideas considering diverse points of view; gather and use data, develop concepts related to people, places and the environment, and make individual decisions.
3) Ability to use appropriate graphical methods including freehand and digital drawing techniques, (ECDL advanced) in order to develop ideas in addition to communicate the process of design.
4) Ability to use fundamental principles of architectural design considering the place, climate, people, society as factors, and simultaneously express present principles in relevant precedents.
5) Understanding of architectural principles belonging to global and local cultures shaped by the climatic, technological, socioeconomic, cultural factors, in addition to principles of historic preservation while developing architectural and urban design projects.
6) Understanding the theories and methods used to describe the relationship between human behavior and physical environment; and concurrently understanding different needs, values, behavioral norms, social and spatial patterns of different cultures.
7) Ability to apply various stages of design processes considering the client and user needs, which include space and equipment requirements besides site conditions and relevant laws and standards.
8) Understanding the role of applied research in determining function, form and systems and their impact on human conditions and behavior.
9) Understanding of the basic principles of static and dynamic structural behavior that withstand gravity and lateral forces, in addition to the evolution and applications of structural systems.
10) Ability to apply the principles of sustainability in architectural and urban design projects that aim to preserve the natural and historic resources and provide healthful environments.
11) Ability to apply the fundamental principles of building and safety systems such as mechanical, electrical, fire prevention, vertical circulation additionally to principles of accessibility into the design of buildings.
12) Understanding the basic principles in the selection of materials, products, components and assemblies, based on their characteristics together with their performance, including their environmental impact and reuse possibilities.
13) Ability to produce a comprehensive architectural project from the schematic design phase to design development phase, while integrating structural systems, life safety and sustainability principles.
14) Understanding the principles of environmental systems such as energy preservation, active and passive heating and cooling systems, air quality, solar orientation, day lighting and artificial illumination, and acoustics; in addition to the use of appropriate performance assessment tools.
15) Ability to choose appropriate materials, products and components in the implementation of design building envelope systems.
16) Ability to understand the principles and concepts of different fields in multidisciplinary design processes and the ability to work in collaboration with others as a member of the design team.
17) Understanding the responsibility of the architect to organize and lead design and construction processes considering the environmental, social and aesthetic issues of the society.
18) Understanding the legal to responsibilities of the architect of the architect effecting the design and construction of a building such as public health and safety; accessibility, preservation, building codes and regulations as well as user rights.
19) Ability to understand the ethical issues involved in the design and construction of buildings and provide services for the benefit of the society. In addition to the ability to act with social responsibility in global and local scales that contribute to the well being of the society.
20) Understanding the methods for competing for commissions, selecting consultants and assembling teams, recommending project delivery methods, which involve financial management and business planning, time management, risk management, mediation and arbitration.

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) Ability to read, write and speak effectively in Turkish and English, equivalent to a B2 European Language Passport Level in English. H
2) Ability to question and interpret ideas considering diverse points of view; gather and use data, develop concepts related to people, places and the environment, and make individual decisions. H
3) Ability to use appropriate graphical methods including freehand and digital drawing techniques, (ECDL advanced) in order to develop ideas in addition to communicate the process of design. S
4) Ability to use fundamental principles of architectural design considering the place, climate, people, society as factors, and simultaneously express present principles in relevant precedents. S
5) Understanding of architectural principles belonging to global and local cultures shaped by the climatic, technological, socioeconomic, cultural factors, in addition to principles of historic preservation while developing architectural and urban design projects. H
6) Understanding the theories and methods used to describe the relationship between human behavior and physical environment; and concurrently understanding different needs, values, behavioral norms, social and spatial patterns of different cultures. H
7) Ability to apply various stages of design processes considering the client and user needs, which include space and equipment requirements besides site conditions and relevant laws and standards. S
8) Understanding the role of applied research in determining function, form and systems and their impact on human conditions and behavior. S
9) Understanding of the basic principles of static and dynamic structural behavior that withstand gravity and lateral forces, in addition to the evolution and applications of structural systems. S
10) Ability to apply the principles of sustainability in architectural and urban design projects that aim to preserve the natural and historic resources and provide healthful environments. S
11) Ability to apply the fundamental principles of building and safety systems such as mechanical, electrical, fire prevention, vertical circulation additionally to principles of accessibility into the design of buildings. S
12) Understanding the basic principles in the selection of materials, products, components and assemblies, based on their characteristics together with their performance, including their environmental impact and reuse possibilities. S
13) Ability to produce a comprehensive architectural project from the schematic design phase to design development phase, while integrating structural systems, life safety and sustainability principles. S
14) Understanding the principles of environmental systems such as energy preservation, active and passive heating and cooling systems, air quality, solar orientation, day lighting and artificial illumination, and acoustics; in addition to the use of appropriate performance assessment tools. S
15) Ability to choose appropriate materials, products and components in the implementation of design building envelope systems. S
16) Ability to understand the principles and concepts of different fields in multidisciplinary design processes and the ability to work in collaboration with others as a member of the design team. S
17) Understanding the responsibility of the architect to organize and lead design and construction processes considering the environmental, social and aesthetic issues of the society. S
18) Understanding the legal to responsibilities of the architect of the architect effecting the design and construction of a building such as public health and safety; accessibility, preservation, building codes and regulations as well as user rights. S
19) Ability to understand the ethical issues involved in the design and construction of buildings and provide services for the benefit of the society. In addition to the ability to act with social responsibility in global and local scales that contribute to the well being of the society. S
20) Understanding the methods for competing for commissions, selecting consultants and assembling teams, recommending project delivery methods, which involve financial management and business planning, time management, risk management, mediation and arbitration. S
Prepared by and Date MERVE GÜL OZOKÇU , July 2020
Course Coordinator AKTS1
Semester Fall
Name of Instructor Öğr. Gör. MERVE GÜL OZOKÇU

Course Contents

Week Subject
1) Introduce the course schedule, Lecture: Social Approaches in Architecture & discussion.
2) [ORGANIZATION] Alternative ways of doing architectural practices, collectives, social practices. (reading)
3) [ORGANIZATION] Understanding the existing language and discourse _ Analyzing the organization structure through examples. Discussion. (production: network structure_ mapping)
4) [PLACE] Right to the city and rural conditions. (reading) (homework: problem definition with new media tools, poster production)
5) [TOOLS] Design tools for social impact. Creative action design_Examination of the examples and discussion on identified problems.
6) [workshop] Creative action proposals
7) [midterm] Discussion of productions
8) [METHOD] In situ possibilities, discussion on participation.
9) [ACTOR] The Role of the Designer: Collective doing, collectivism, trans-disciplinary approaches.
10) [MATERIAL] Material / detail / Re&Up-cycle experiments.
11) [SOURCE] Source as a design input: equity, self-help, public resources, funds, crowd funding etc.
12) [contact] action in situ_ communication strategy development (pre-post)
13) [doing]
14) [observation] documenting, recording, feedback.
15) Evaluation, discussion
16) Evaluation, discussion
Required/Recommended ReadingsArchitecture for Humanity, (2006). Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises, Distributed Art Publishers, New York. Dean, A. O. & Hursley, T., (2002). Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency, Princeton Architectural Press, New York. Özokcu, M.G., (2015) Mimarlık Alanında Alternatif Bir Süreç: Herkes için Mimarlık Ovakent Projesi. Thesis M. Arch, Istanbul Technical University. Dept. of Architecture. Other readings correspondent to weekly works will be published via Blackboard
Teaching MethodsInstructional strategy and expectations for both students and instructional staff that follow from this. Student work modes (independently and/or in teams). Any work with the outside community – geographic or industry sector. Half of the semester program starts with the introductory lectures about alternative possibilities of architectural practice, ethical responsibilities of the discipline and how to instrumentalize architecture for a social change. Along with the important aspects of the issue, organizational differences, research methodologies, roles of the actors, place related and participatory design approaches will be discussed during the classes. For this first half of the term, the class will encourage to join the discussions with the help of different methods to make students feel free to say their own understanding of the political surroundings. Students will be preparing some pre-class conceptual mappings, to reveal their individual point of view, to understand the complex structure of a social problem and possible solutions on a larger scale. For the last, students will be encouraged to work in groups related to a specific social problem. Outcomes of the course can be in various forms like improving a research methodology, creative action design to raise public awareness or designing something on the way of social change. The important sides of the research will be taking responsibility and working in touch with the other actors of the issue.
Homework and Projects14 weeks of pre-class work, 1 presentation, 1 submission
Laboratory Work-
Computer UseYes
Other Activities-
Assessment Methods
Assessment Tools Count Weight
Homework Assignments 1 % 80
Final Examination 1 % 20
TOTAL % 100
Course Administration mozokcu@gmail.com
-
Students are expected to attend 80% of the classes and should submit the works on time. Third party submissions are not accepted. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: YÖK Disciplinary Regulation.

ECTS Student Workload Estimation

Activity No/Weeks Hours Calculation
No/Weeks per Semester Preparing for the Activity Spent in the Activity Itself Completing the Activity Requirements
Course Hours 14 1 3 1 70
Homework Assignments 14 4 56
Total Workload 126
Total Workload/25 5.0
ECTS 5