Design problems of university campus sites, analytical review and a proposal

Universities have been maintaining their existence as institutions of science which have developed from the middle ages up to now and their importance for the community has been increasing day by day. These institutions have been one of the elements which have affected the city plans and the architectural texture of the city during the history. Since universities couldn't respond to their spatial necessities in their buildings in the city, they have inclined towards the campuses out of the city. In the first part of the study consisting six parts, the aim of the study, its extent and method have been mentioned.The aim of the study is to examine the designing criteria of the university campuses from the samples and to prepare a new campus design propasal by setting out from the findings obtained in the result of the examining the samples from the spatial view. In the second part of it, the university definition and its historical development have been examined. In the third part, under the topic of "The Spatial Dimension of the University Campus Sites",the subjects of the location choice, the relation of the university with the city and with its nearby neighbourhood, the extent of the campus and its population,the main functions in the campus and grouping them, the circulation system in the campuses and the possibilities of growth and flexibility have been explained. In the fourth part, where the physical planning and designing process have been told, 29 university campuses have been examined by their spatial dimensions. The samples have been grouped according to the location systems. Thus,the samples which are appropriate for the same location system have been dealt together. The university campuses which have different characteristics from each other have been compared on the matrixes from the aspect of the functional and spatial relation of the campus with the city, the circulation in the campus and reaching the campus, the organization of the activities and the possibilities of growth and flexibility, which have been mentioned in the third part. As the result of the comparisons of the samples which are abroad and in Turkey, the positive and negative sides of the samples have been evaluated. In the fifth part, by evaluating the existing state of Dokuz Eylül University Tınaztepe Campus, which is the field of study, the proposal project has been prepared. The general characteristics which are effective in planning and designing of the campus and the usages of the campus area have been analysed. In addition, the process from the establisment of the university until today has been scrutinized and the physical planning and design suggestions related to the campus have been prepared by taking notice of also the findings obtained in the result of the researches which have been done. The designing criteria which have been obtained in the result of the examination of the samples have given a direction to the design of the proposal project. While providing the unity of the proposal project, it has been aimed that the campus will be a place within easy reach for everybody, in pedestrian scale, and where the natural green texture is protected and maintained.