Landscape Design II: Treasure Hunt

Landscape Design II: Treasure Hunt studio report

LANDSCAPE DESIGN II (CRN: 14552) TREASURE HUNT: FINDING THE LOST TRACES OF WATER was led by Assoc. Prof. Ebru Erbaş Gürler @landscape_eeg and was assisted by Res. Assist. Arzu Güler @arzu.gulr.

In the mysterious place of Ayvansaray, [the Historical Peninsula of Istanbul], there are some hidden treasures waiting for bringing to light. They were forgotten, lost, buried, destroyed, changed, or unseen. We named them the missing “water nodes.” As a continuum of historical “Kirkçesme Water Main”, the place is living under the memory of tangible and intangible memory nodes of water. The water culture represents itself by the myths, oral histories, architectural structures, sea, open areas since the Byzantium Empire, Ottoman Empire, and now Republic Period. Now, prepare yourself for treasure hunting in order to find the lost traces of the water and claim the treasure unknown.

Landscape Design III: From Region to Design

LANDSCAPE DESIGN III (CRN: 14553): FROM REGION TO DESIGN-A NARRATIVE FOR TRANSFORMATION – LARGE PARKS was led by Assoc. Prof. Meltem Erdem Kaya @meltem_erdem_kaya and was assisted by Res. Assist. Nergis Aşar @nergisasar.

We are living in a world surrounded by concrete elements of globalization and searching for local identity have become critical in shaping our physical environment. Cities are hosting stereotypical parks shaped by the same rules and same stylistic endeavor lack of local variables and forms although the elements of landscape are strongly tied to the local parameters both physical, social & cultural. Design as a cultural act, has the power to investigate the best possible solutions that fit into the local context with different methodologies. At the same time, it can be manipulative that impose typical images on people to create, reconstruct the idea of nature.

Moving from these, Landscape Design III Studio will focus on urban parks within geographical context. The Studio will discuss the role of “large parks” for 21st century cities and investigate how a park design can add value to the city by including local variable and site sensitive approaches based on eco-region concept.

Landscape Design IV: Reclaiming Landscape

Landscape Design IV: Reclaiming Landscape studio report

LANDSCAPE DESIGN IV (CRN: 14554): RECLAIMING LANDSCAPE / POST-INDUSTRIAL SCENARIOS FOR GULF OF IZMIT was led by Assoc. Prof. Meltem Erdem Kaya @meltem_erdem_kaya and was assisted by Res. Assist. Nergis Aşar @nergisasar.

Landscape Design IV Studio aims to explore the emergent conditions of landscapes of 21st century by looking at one of the most important industrial and ecological hubs of Turkey; Gulf of İzmit. İzmit with its logistic position near İstanbul Metropolitan City, hosts various industries with a high capacity of production accompanied by dense infrastructural setting serving for the dynamic flows of people, material, information, energy, capital etc. At the end, this industrial landscape with its static and decaying infrastructures superimposed over natural setting, degrades, fragments and contaminates the nature of the Gulf and the continuous character of the coastline. The Gulf as the reason for industrial relocation threated by sublime character and operations of the industry.

Landscape Design IV: Water & The City

Landscape Design IV: Water & The City studio report

LANDSCAPE DESIGN IV (CRN: 14555): WATER & The City was led by Prof. Gülşen Aytaç, PhD. @aytgls and was assisted by Res. Asst. Gizem Aluçlu @gizemaluclu.

Today, we are experiencing the effects of climate change more and more. We constantly follow the flood and fire news on every continent. With these effects, changes in the water cycle are reflected into the water bodies as floods and expose these areas to many risks. Cities have begun to be designed to be resilient by being affected by the variability of water levels. Ayamama River, which is adjacent to many natural water bodies such as lagoons and the Bosphorus on the West Marmara Coast in Istanbul, Turkey, will be evaluated in terms of resiliency based on flood risks within the scope of the studio. At the scale of the river basin, the flood risk levels, usage differences, necessary buffer zones, time and disaster management, and landscape design will be discussed and future projections will be recommended.

Graduation Project: Aqu(a)duct – Rethinking the Historic Waterway Landscapes of Istanbul

Graduation Project: Aqu(a)duct studio report

The core jury of graduation project Assoc. Prof. Ebru Erbaş Gürler @landscape_eeg , Assist. Prof. Melih Bozkurt @mel_bozkurt , Assist. Prof. Meliz Akyol @melizakyoll in fall 2021. The project will be assisted by Res. Assist. Başak Akarsu and Res. Assist. Hüseyin Ögçe.

Water or AQUA!, as it is known in Latin, is the foundation of life that is binding human spheres and nature while dynamically sculpturing civilizations and cultures. Shaped between water and terrain, Istanbul is an open book to read through thousands of years of these natural and cultural processes triggered by a wide network of rivers and streams covering the city’s topography. However, this variable topography of the city had been an obstacle to reach water resources for many communities who tried to settle on these lands. As a response to these natural and cultural challenges and transportation problems, architects and engineers revealed a variety of design solutions through history which are still present as architectural heritage and that are ahead of their time. Considering the contemporary urban landscape structure of Istanbul, Kırkçeşme Waters and Waterways stand alone as a unique representative of these attempts to bring clean water to the city yet, they struggle with deterioration within different parts of the system. On the edge of a Global Ecological Crises where Earth is struggling with water scarcity, interaction with water and contemporary design approaches became a vital topic for Landscape Architects. Therefore, within the scope of this Graduation Project, the relationship between water and design will be discussed considering historical and contemporary needs and design approaches through historical Kırıkçeşme Waters and Waterways of Istanbul.