Rethinking The Role of Context and Contextualism in Architecture and Design

ABSTRACT: It is obvious that many popular products and understandings of contemporary architecture have left contextual design behind. Context is simply sacrificed to build an artificial identity and brand. Both on urban scale and on building scale insensitivity towards context in design have not been able to produce quite positive results. With this concern, this study is discussing contextuality in architecture within the framework of product, design and designer (architect). In this sense, necessity of how contemporary design’s context should be dealt within the framework of ethical responsibility, in addition to the artistic aspects of the profession is emphasized and contextual design is reviewed. The subject has addressed some contextual design approaches of the period from 20th century to the present with criticism. In addition to pervasive studies that describes contextual design on the basis of known, concrete facts of environment (especially related with architectural characteristics), the study also attempted to reveal different aspects of contextuality by discussing the subject in line with designer’s personal attitudes and the basic arguments of design activities. In the study, the relationship of architecture with context from 1900s until today is scrutinizingly deliberated and prepared a ground for discussion. Different attitudes demonstrated against context corresponding to the periods of “Modernism”, “Post Modernism” and “Deconstructivism” has been brought to the present and extensions/provisions of these attitudes are conveyed to contemporary discourse. Contemporary contextual architecture is scrutinized in relation to design activity and design product and related background is interpreted. Accordingly, guidelines, strategies of contextual design, architectural habits and extensions from the past are critically discussed. In addition to studies that have widely discussed contextual design with guidelines and strategies, this study addresses contextual design within the framework of designer’s attitude. These attitudes are referred to as empathic, sympathetic and Independent. Although sympathetic attitude is superior compared to others, it is emphasized that considerations of the designer (architect) towards context is the most important point for the sake of contextual quality. In other words, it is underlined that whichever attitude is followed, the most important aspect determining success of the contextual design is contextual consideration of architect. As well as obedience to the context accepting it as a set of requirements to be complied with, an opinion that can be presented that accepts it as a tool in the design. In addition, in this study, “design concepts” derived from context is interpreted as extensions of attitudes and considerations revealing original examples that are strong and based on interpretation sampled on selected products. Keywords: Contextual Design, Contextualism, Attitude, Consideration, Concept and Ethics. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………