THE ROLE OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION: A CASE STUDY AT UNIVERSITY OF BALIKESIR IN TURKEY

Abstract

Today, the concept of sustainability is a very popular topic in the construction sector as in all areas of the industry. When the environmental impacts of the building life cycle are considered, the importance of this concept for this sector is seen more clearly. As in every education field, architectural education is also shaped according to the needs of the age. The differences between 2000s and today can be noticed when looking at the field of architecture that shifts in line with the needs of the age. Thus, necessary changes should be made in some disciplines such as architecture, interior architecture, civil engineering, city and regional planning and landscape architecture under the subject of sustainability. Architecture, which shapes the living spaces, has an enormous responsibility along with some other disciplines during the evolution of the occupational environmental awareness. It should be ensured with the university education that the undergraduate architecture students develop a mentality that pays attention to the concepts of ecology and sustainability, and enables skills to utilize renewable energy sources. This study aims to determine the awareness of students on sustainability. The data for this research is collected by conducting a survey at the Department of Architecture at the University of Balıkesir, and covers the senior students in the spring semester of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years. This study emphasizes the concept of sustainability, and aims to determine how the architect candidates who will be implementers in the future interact with the concept of sustainability during their higher education. One of the results of the study shows that students do not have much knowledge about sustainable architecture, but they tend to take related courses. Another result of the study is that students should be directed to projects that emphasize sustainability in architectural design courses.