Reinterpreting Sustainable Housing through the Traditional Turkish Courtyard House Typology: The Case of Wohnen Hoch Drei

Sustainability studies on traditional and contemporary residential architecture generally focus on technical and environmental performance criteria. This study, however, discusses the potential for contemporary interpretations of traditional housing typologies within the context of sustainability, considering spatial memory, community-oriented living structures, and the continuity of in-between spaces. By drawing on Doğan Kuban’s analyses of the traditional Turkish hayatlı house typology, the research explores how this spatial model can be reinterpreted and transferred into contemporary sustainable housing design. The focus of the study is the analysis of how in-between spaces, such as the hayat, sofa, and courtyard, are re-produced in a contemporary residential context through the Wohnen Hoch Drei - cooperative housing project in Hamburg, Germany. The project was selected for its community-oriented living concept, use of natural materials, landscape-integrated spatial organisation, and typological balance between privacy and shared spaces. The research adopts a qualitative and comparative methodology, combining a literature review, an analysis of traditional housing typologies, and an examination of a contemporary case study. The findings demonstrate that the traditional Turkish hayatlı house represents not merely a historical heritage, but a reinterpretable spatial model that offers an adaptable, human-centered, and community-oriented framework for contemporary sustainable housing design.