Comparing universities in Turkey and europe from campus scale to building scale in the context of sustainability

Sustainability, generally, refers to the balanced and efficient use of resources to meet the needs of today while also meeting the needs of future generations. This concept encompasses environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Architectural sustainability, on the other hand, refers to the application of this general concept in the field of architecture. Architectural sustainability aims to adhere to sustainability principles throughout all processes from the design and construction of buildings to their operation and maintenance. This includes factors such as energy efficiency, waste management, use of renewable energy sources, reducing environmental impacts, and ensuring healthy indoor air quality. Architectural sustainability encompasses the design and implementation of buildings and settlements that cause less harm to the environment and society, use resources more efficiently, and support long-term sustainability goals. The history of sustainability has been examined in the context of contemporary practices considering significant conferences and declarations. Additionally, measurement of sustainability through universal standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative and UI Green Metric has been addressed. In the examination of sustainable universities, a detailed evaluation has been conducted on examples from both Europe and Turkey. Institutions representing European models such as Delft University of Technology, University of Nottingham, Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld University, University of Southern Denmark (USD), and University of Bologna have been compared with examples from Turkey such as Yeditepe University, Özyeğin University, Karabük University, and Ege University. The results, drawing from opinions obtained through comparative analysis, identify the strengths and areas for improvement in sustainability practices of universities in Europe and Turkey.