Ninth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Context discussions occupy a diverse and colorful range of approaches in architectural theory – from Norberg-Schulz’s concept of genius loci to Koolhaas’ infamous dictum “fuck context,” these various approaches problematize architecture’s relationship to its site. Expanding the notion of site and developing more sensitive strategies for understanding the impact of physical geographies on design thinking is crucial for a more sustainable design practice within the constructed environment. This paper provides an account of an elective, conducted in graduate and undergraduate levels since 2018 that explores artefacts and landscapes within a particular geographical area. At the end of the semester, a monography of the geographical area under focus is produced that record and poetically explore the traces of visible and invisible networks within its limits. So far, Harran Plain, and the Kars Plateau have been studied within the context of this seminar.