Title: Impacts of 'negative patterns' on urban-architectural education: the case of Balikesir

Authors: Murat Çetin

Addresses: Department of Architecture, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM, College of Environmental Design, P.O. Box 910, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: City and its physical environment play a remarkable role in the formation of architects. Thus, how qualities of urban setting are filtered into design projects that are developed in the city, particularly in schools of architecture is of interest. Hence, an excavation through four successive layers: city, architectural school, design studio and student projects are conducted on the basis of their spatial organisation and architectural features. This analysis follows an historical overview of the morphological evolution of the urban tissue and an overall examination of the curriculum with reference to a particular case study selected from a small town university in Turkey, Balikesir University, Department of Architecture. It is of interest to know whether the deficiencies of the city make a negative impact on the students of architecture since city displays an anti-urban character. The methodology, called 'negative patterns', is adapted from Alexander's pattern language, working in reverse manner.

Keywords: architectural education; urban contexts; negative patterns; Balikesir University; Turkey; universities; higher education; cities; physical environments; architects; urban settings; design projects; architectural schools; design studios; student projects; spatial organisation; architectural features; morphological evolution; urban tissue; curriculum; city deficiencies; architecture students; anti-urban character; pattern language; Christopher Alexander; good design; good practice; Arab culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJACMSD.2012.049134

International Journal of Arab Culture, Management and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.2 No.2/3, pp.235 - 254

Published online: 29 Jul 2014 *

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