An ecological data based design guide for architectural design

Recent studies in architecture and social sciences have shown that design concepts that consider ecological parameters are invaluable in creating an integrated environment for man.The lessening value of the community concept after the industrial revolution especially in neighborhoods, which the Modern Architecture movement has shaped, is one of the major factors that caused urban design to emerge as a new study area. Thus, what brings the environment-centered approach to attention today is the unsustainable way of life people live. The human-centered and nature-defying attitude of man has led to the serious problem of loss of equilibriums between living things-nature and man-environment.There are certain elements that make it difficult to comprehend the relationships between social and physical environments and the concept of ecological environment in urban structures that evolved after Modernism. These are the sprawl of the urban fabric; lack of functional and formal diversity; and denial of the importance of outdoor spaces in fortifying social interaction. Therefore, the relationship between man-environment-building should be carefully revised. These relations are not stable but perpetual and dynamic relationships. Generally speaking, humane design decisions are made during the course of design and equilibrium is anticipated when the building is complete. However, the aforementioned relationship returns to it dynamic state in time; architectural structure and social data interacts with one another in time and space.The most important task of architecture is to constitute a volumetric, humane and ecological relationship with its environment. The design should answer social needs; present opportunities for human interactions; and be nature-friendly by causing as little damage as possible to the ecological equilibrium. Therefore, one of the main aspects when evaluating a building is whether it fulfills these requirements. For, only such spaces can be defined as being ecological and humane.The main goals of this study are to define design principles contingent with ecologic data; to create an objective system for evaluating the ecologic efficiency of buildings; and thus, to present a design guideline for architects.In the thesis, award-winning projects in an architectural design competition are evaluated regarding their energy efficiency; and an ecological design matrix is established. These data are thrn used to create a guideline entitled ?Criteria for Devising Architectural Designs Regarding Ecological Data?, which enables architects to evaluate their designs in terms of ecology, in every stage of the process.