The design process, form-function relations and quality discussions in the contemporary architecture of Turkey

The thesis explores and discusses the relationship between quantifiable, rational, objective and unquantifiable, intuitional, subjective design decisions of the architectural design process through the concepts such as "architectural quality", "architectural narrative" and "association between form and function". In this context, the thesis progresses in two main dimensions. One of those being to trace and ascertain how frequently united aesthetic, functional decisions and aesthetic concerns exist and function in the architectural discipline which is restricted by the essential architectural necessities. The other is to question the roots of the affirmative perspective attributed to the architectural design process and products by certain parties through the discussion of "proficient architecture" and examine the association between these two dimensions. The body of the research advances with the discussion of these concepts by analyzing three of the contemporary architectural buildings which constructed within the past twenty years in Turkey. The data which accumulated by field research and interviews of the architectures are analyzed in the context of design decisions and basic design principles. Subsequent to the respective analysis of these three buildings, the relationships and concepts which emerged through the research considered unitedly and while pointing out the interactions, common and distinct aspects of the obtained findings; prominent concepts and approaches discussed alongside with the theoretical scope and references. Within the scope of the chapter consisting the general evaluation of the research, it is asserted that 'function' -a term that is defined through 'functionalism'- cannot be framed into a tangible and certain definition; as functionalism is mainly an evaluation system which serves as a vehicle to measure architectural quality. To evaluate the designing process through functional and esthetical approaches, it is conveyed that the formal decisions can include the purpose of fulfilling a function, visual impression or spatial experience; as well as a holistic design process in which many elements are thought at the same time and actively interact with each other. Discussing the condition-response relations -frequently mentioned by the architects in the interviews- through subjectivity and objectivity; no matter how definitive or flexible condition descriptions are, whether factual or interpretative, mandatory or arbitrary, the choice of inclusion in the context of the project and the architectural response given within this context are always determined by the subjective choice of the architect. The criticisms against the definition of the function attributable to the space with fixed and definite boundaries, the subjective structures of the form decisions described by the function and the expressions of the architects regarding the subjective design processes are discussed together. Finally, within the context of the architectural quality, the subject's own personal experiences, thoughts, analyzes are included in the approach of the subject who defines or evaluates the quality judgment; accepted value systems and conventions are also major deciding factors. When we look at the projects evaluated in a larger scale, we see that they carry similarities in terms of the density of rational and functionalist narratives of the projects. It can be observed that the design inputs and interpretations by the architects in the production process have similar structures and that the search for objectivity is expressed by constant and limiting approaches that will block the potential design possibilities. In this sense, forcing each of the decisions taken in the structure to be useful in the definition of conventional functions pushes architecture to think and talk in a limited repertoire both in terms of creation and narrative. Adopting the uncertainty in the form of the intuitive, immeasurable, random elements that are sometimes revealed in the design process, will be more liberating than re-defining these elements through a cause-effect relationship and by confining them to a forced rationality. Rather than surrender to the single-out approaches that rational requirements take over the design process, the architect will allow a process in which the architect embraces and evokes his/her subjective thoughts and feelings in the process. An increase in the analysis and criticism studies, in which such relations are revealed and discussed in relation to the design processes, will benefit the development of the approach and the expression of the designers. It is possible to use the analysis, evaluation and critical studies to understand the architectural design processes and products as tools in order to understand and discuss the structure, diversity, limits and the nature of the architectural convensions. It will enable the designers to use the tools and facilities of the environment in which the designer stands, which will contribute to design practice with the contradictions and contradictions of the elements included in the design and which are excluded from the process. It is possible to carry out similar critical studies with different conceptual focuses for different locations using different methods. In Turkey's case, the increase of critical studies on contemporary architectural products and the more comprehensive expression and discussion of the judgments about the architectural quality have a critical importance in the development of approaches that determine the design environment in which we are involved.