A Focus on Pedagogy
Abstract
Architectural details are of extreme importance for a building design. As being the smallest size of architecture, details define the theoretical expression and technical character of a building and impact its construction process. The art of detailing covers the joining of building products in a functional and aesthetic manner. The diversification of the factors driving the detail design complicates the detailing process. Architectural detailing is a key skill of an architect at any level. Many architects endeavor to develop that skill throughout their careers with or without the assistance of others. This process often takes place in the form of self-learning owing to the availability of learning resources. Individuals take the initiative in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying resources for learning, and evaluating learning outcomes. Learning anything by yourself can be a very rewarding experience. On the other hand, it is quite challenging to provide the targeted outcomes from resources without using a specific method, which prolongs the skill development process. This paper aims to reveal a self-learning method for architectural detailing through a widely benefitted teaching method, case study analysis. A preliminary analysis method is generated through a comprehensive literature review on detail design and case analysis. The preliminary method is taught to undergraduate architecture students within the scope of the course Detail Design I given at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, and it is applied by the students. Then the method is refined depending on the data obtained from the application test. The proposed case study analysis method consists of 5 phases: defining the design context, defining the building products and their functions, defining the joining method of the building products, functional analysis of the detail, and aesthetic analysis of the detail. Application activities and learning outcomes of each phase are explained in this paper. Struggles brought by the self-learning approach are reduced with this method. The method ensures its users a keen eye for evaluating architectural details.
Bahar Basarir is a lecturer and research assistant at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSFAU), Department of Architecture, Building Technology Division, in Turkey. She has been a member of the MSFAU Building Technology Division’s teaching and research teams since 2011. She lectures on construction technologies and detail design; organizes workshops on architectural detailing. Having the curiosity to ask questions and commitment to find answers, she has a diverse range of research interests including façade systems, adaptive/responsive façades, façade refurbishment, design methods, detail design, product design, constructability, and industrialization. Thanks to many conference presentations and published articles, she had the opportunity to share her researches with society. Her education background includes a bachelor’s degree (2010) in Architecture from MSFAU, later on, a master’s degree (2013) with the dissertation titled “Façade Retrofit: Demands and Solution Techniques” from MSFAU Building Technology Program. She earned a PhD degree (2019) from Istanbul Technical University with the dissertation titled “Designing Adaptive Façades with Standard Products: Redesign Model” which is pursued industrialization of adaptive façades by manufacturing them with standard products.
Omer S. Deniz was graduated from Architecture Faculty in MSU (in Turkey) with an Architecture bachelor’s degree in 1984. After, graduated from Building Technology Program of Architecture Division in Science and Technology Institute in MSU with master’s degree and prepared the thesis named “Roofs with Cable Net” in 1987. He was then awarded PhD degree from Building Technology Program of Architecture Science Program in Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences in ITU (in Turkey) with the prepared thesis named “In Multi-Storey Housing Design, a Decision Making Approach Oriented to the Selection of Building Elements that will Meet the Flexibility Demands of the Users” in 2000. He worked as a research assistant at Building Technology Division of Architecture Faculty in MSU in 1988- 2000, as an assistant professor at Interior Architecture Department in Yeditepe University (in Turkey) in 2002-2005 and as an instructor at Building Technology Division of Architecture Faculty in MSU in 2005- 2011. Since 2011, he has been working as an assistant professor at Building Technology Division of Architecture Faculty in MSFAU. He teaches some undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the university. He has papers and articles published in many congresses and journals. In addition, there are graduate thesis studies completed and ongoing under his supervision. His research and teaching subjects are Building Systems and Construction Technologies; Architectural Detailing; Decision Making in Building Design and Construction; Open Building Systems; Building Circularity.