Modern Architecture and Its Interaction with the Concept of Sustainability

The concept of architecture and sustainability has begun to gain great importance in the century we live in. For this reason, using the two concepts together is very important to increase our quality of life and standards. Since its existence, it has been necessary for human beings to meet their need for shelter in order to protect themselves from external factors. In ancient times, nature frightened humanity with its wildness and unknown. Man, who wants to control everything, has found technology and, by taking advantage of technological developments, has fought with nature and tried to shape it into the shape he wants. Today, the damage we cause to the environment has reached levels that affect people from all walks of life. People inevitably have to change their usual lifestyle. The transition to a sustainable society has come to the fore with the disappearance of the identity of a consumer society in which energy, resources and materials are used wastefully. Based on the concept of sustainable development, a conscious and educated society has tried to create a lifestyle that will benefit from renewable energy sources and cause as little harm to nature as possible. Sustainable building practices have been adopted as the architectural reflection of these efforts. Sustainable buildings take into account natural resources, cultural resources, land design, building design, energy management, water supply, waste control and building maintenance/use, and can be summarized as a process that supports economic development and brings about changes in the built environment. . while preserving the integrity of resources, people, communities and ecosystems. For this reason, issues such as energy efficiency, minimum harm to the environment, health and comfort of building owners, and functional efficiency are taken into account in the design and renovation processes. There are many researches, developments and practices around the world that vary depending on social/cultural/economic identity and climate. In addition, sustainability is reflected in the architecture of most traditional buildings. Nowadays, designing healthy and energy efficient buildings, especially in office and educational buildings, is becoming increasingly important in America, Europe and Japan. In these studies, the state of a country's economy affects technological support and development. New materials, smart facade and roof systems, active and passive thermal comfort systems, natural/artificial lighting systems, use of renewable energy resources such as photovoltaic panels, building and energy management systems are examples of these technological developments. In addition, many laws and regulations regarding green building processes are issued and updated in cooperation with governments and various sectors. In America (e.g. California, Minnesota, Texas etc.) and Europe (e.g. England, Netherlands, France, Germany etc.) legal regulations are implemented using sanctions. But the sustainability movement is more active in Europe than in the United States. The main reasons for this are the importance given by governments and the European Union to the issue and the dominance of the USA over global energy resources. Most of the examples in Europe are concentrated in England and the Netherlands. Additionally, sustainable construction methods have become a priority in the construction industry in countries such as Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway. It is known that there are difficulties in accessing and producing information in the context of sustainable development and construction in Turkey. There is a lack of information at the local level and the flow of information from existing research and community centers is limited. In addition, sustainable development principles cannot be applied as a whole under the leadership of the public in informing the public, producing information in building design, analyzing situations and solving problems. Research is carried out by TUBITAK, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, REC Turkey, some private sectors and universities. But ultimately, there are not enough institutional rules to guide architects in Turkey.

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