Spatial attributes of learning environments that catalyze the mental and socio-psychological factors enhancing design students’ creativity


Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Faculty of Architecture, Department of City and Regional Planning, Turkey

Approval Date: 2014

Student: HAZAL ATAK AKBULUT

Supervisor: ANLI ATAÖV DEMİRKAN

Abstract:

This study aims at extracting the relationality of spatial attributes with the mental and socio-psychological attributes that enhance the process of creativity. To do this, the study investigates these attributes and the generation of a creative act, defined as novel and valuable. In this way, the study aims at reaching the spatial attributes which can be implemented in designing a creativity stimulating environment. Previous studies describe creativity as a social process. In the various phases of this process, different mental, social and psychological attributes come into play. In this study, the context of this issue is approached through the differentiation of mental, social and psychological attributes that come into play in each phase of the process of creativity, revealing different activity patterns and this generates the differing needs in a spatial configuration. In line with this approach, the survey is carried out in the case area of METU Faculty of Architecture, using the design students as subjects. The study examines the design students’ perceptions of this issue and traces the activity patterns and spatial configurations revealed in the literature review. At the same time, the METU Faculty of Architecture is evaluated with respect to the spatial attributes that may have positive and negative effect on students' creativity.