Seeking the universal within the local: A reading of Han Tümertekin?s B2 and SM houses through the prominent concepts of `critical regionalism?

This thesis will first examine `Critical Regionalism? and then continue with the analysis of Han Tümertekin?s B2 and SM houses using the prominent concepts of `Critical Regionalism?. `Critical Regionalism? can be described as a layered approach; first proposed by theorists such as Lefaivre-Tzonis and Frampton, it propogates an architecture that has the potential to oppose the modes of global consumption patterns, without rejecting the modern movement.Thus, the analytical reading of `Critical Regionalism? aims to trace its process to-date, encompassing the basis outlined by Alexander Tzonis-Liane Lefaivre and Kenneth Frampton in the 1980s, the changes it has undergone as well as the criticism it provokes. Taking into account the rather ambiguous position of `Critical Regionalism? in regards to the universal and the local, several key points such as place-context, tactile, tectonic-poetic and defamiliarization, stand out within this study. Han Tümertekin?s B2 and SM Houses, located within the vernacular context of Büyükhüsun village (North-west Turkey), where the main building texture is vernacular in nature, are read through these key points. The reading will focus on the following properties; sensitivity to place and context, care for both the visual perception and the tactile, a tectonic expression through the poetic articulation of the construction, hints of a defamiliarization process with the usage of conventional elements in an unconvenient manner. In conclusion, it can be said that these two houses posses the values of the universal through the usage of the local.Key Words: Critical Regionalism, tactile, place-context, tectonic-poeticdefamiliarization/estrangement, Han Tümertekin.