The Phenomenon of Privacy in Culture-Housing Interaction: A Comparative Analysis on Traditional Urfa - Akçaabat/Ortamahalle Houses

 

“Dwelling” is the leading architectural structure formed by the influence of culture. Dwellings are a mirror that reflects social, economic and cultural norms of societies. When compared, dwellings in different regions seem to reflect different socio-cultural worlds. Social components as well as physical components of culture are also effective in the development of this diversity. Factors such as beliefs, worldview, values, ethnicity, and social structure are the social components of the concept of culture. Social components of culture have a direct impact on the privacy requirements of societies and the formation of the mechanisms produced to meet such requirements. The phenomenon of privacy is one of the most important elements in the formation of dwellings and their usage patterns. Thus, the phenomenon of privacy and by extension the lifestyles of users are effective on a number of factors such as the variety of spaces in dwellings, plan schemes, and reinforcement organization based on space usage patterns. The present study discusses the association of culture and dwelling, addresses traditional Urfa and Akçaabat Ortamahalle houses in two different regions of Turkey within the context of the phenomenon of privacy, as a component of culture, and examines the effects of privacy in the layout features of dwellings, the hierarchy of open and semi-open spaces, and the formation of plan organization and facade characteristics.