'Floating Public Space for Birds: Design Research and Prototype Fabrication in Haliç

Abstract

Purpose This text intends to discuss the outcome of the graduate design studio titled ‘hydrophilic structures’. Studio research is organized on two primary axis; revealing the potentials of floating spaces as an extension of public spaces on one hand, and digital design and fabrication technologies for prototyping on the other. Concepts such as floating structures, water interaction and public space may initially refer to human utilization however, non-human living organisms are critical for their decisive role on the qualities of the water and the urban environment. Design/Methodology/Approach Design of floating structures and water interaction had been a niche inside the traditional culture and practice of architectural design, whereas design and production skills in connection with water had historically developed mostly in the field of engineering and transportation. Floating structures and their potential for unconventional spatial experiences have recently engaged in the focus of contemporary design culture, mainly due to the increasing density and lack of public spaces on the land. Findings The proposal, designed through computational tools and fabricated through robotic technology, concentrates on various ways of interaction with water and acknowledge research on the spatial requirements for the birds, as the users of space. Research Limitations/Implications Fabrication of the floating prototype is assumed as a primary target for its observation potential enabling an original discussion of the design parameters for bird species. Limitations of the existing fabrication tools and sustainability of the practically available materials were assumed to be out of the scope of this study. Social/Practical Implications Design-research presented here covers principal case-studies of floating spaces, the buoyancy principles, material tests and essential variables of ecological dynamics in Halic as a general framework. Originality/Value The subsequent prototype serves for a specific bird population utilizing Halic as a part of their life cycle, rather than human utilization.