A unique representation of Ottoman residential architecture: 19th century Summerhouses in the Kadıköy District, Istanbul

At present, ArchDaily.com is the most visited virtual architecture platform in the world. Aware of the importance acquired in the architectural practice, the site declares itself to be the main source from which architects feed on tools, information and inspiration to develop their projects. However, it is clear that its importance is not limited to its status as reference bank for professional practice. The accumulation of visual and textual representations contributes to the idea of “good architecture”, in turn transforming this platform into an institution validating and legitimizing the understanding of the discipline, its scope and limitations, its protagonists and predominant methods applied. The following pages propose an analysis of the platform’s content in its residential architecture section, an analysis that supports a critical reflection on its wider cultural effects.

Reconnecting building occupants with nature while encouraging sustainability has become more important due to ongoing urbanization and growing environmental concerns. In order to enhance both the natural environment and the well-being of residents. This study investigated the role of biophilic design in sustainable housing, aiming to develop a framework that guides architectural decisions, fosters restorative living environments, and informs future designs that strengthen the human-nature connection. This research addresses a research gap, as the existing body of knowledge is limited in its investigation of how biophilic design principles can be effectively integrated into residential architecture, particularly sustainable housing, to enhance occupant well-being and environmental performance. With the aid of a qualitative approach, the research analyzed biophilic design principles adopted in housing design and their impacts on sustainable housing delivery. A review of thirty-one articles published between 2004 and 2024 was conducted through internet-based searches in academic databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and the Covenant University Repository. The collected data were subjected to content analysis. The findings informed the development of a biophilic design framework and a corresponding architectural proposal. The results were presented descriptively, supported by visual architectural representations to enhance clarity and comprehension. The study proposed a framework for integrating biophilic design into sustainable housing, exemplified by a design constructed from upcycled metal shipping containers. Biophilic architecture offers innovative solutions in residential projects, fostering hope for the future of sustainable housing. The study highlighted the alignment of biophilic principles with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting well-being (SDG 3), urban sustainability (SDG 11), climate change mitigation (SDG 13), and biodiversity conservation in urban ecosystems (SDG 15). The research adds to the discourse on biophilic architecture in housing projects, showcasing its opportunities and applications for sustainable housing schemes.

This paper discusses the fictive performance of architecture in reference to the re-description of human conditions. First, following Paul Ricoeur′s notion of the fictive, the paper illuminates one′s engagement with a setting from the perspective of dialectics between the subjectivity of the perceiver and the infinite potentials of the setting that can never be fully predicted by tools of architectural representations. What is real is not so much in the objective properties of the elements of a setting as in the elements′ mutual correspondence and reflectivity of which the perceiver is already part. Second, the paper takes as a case study Richard Neutra′s residential architecture to demonstrate the fictive nature of a setting that re-describes human conditions. Of particular interest is how Neutra established the relationship among fire, wind and water, and how he conjoined this dialectical ensemble of the primary elements of cosmos with a daybed operating dualistically both as the place of burning erotic love and the place of unperturbed death. The paper finally demonstrates how the significance of the setting was predicated upon the elements′ mutual correspondence in the process of which what Neutra called the primary Gestalt of human living, or life and death, is re-described.