An exploration of crafts in the Ankara Castle area based on sustainable design and localization

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mimarlık Fakültesi, Endüstriyel Tasarım Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2017

Öğrenci: ASLIHAN TOKAT

Danışman: ÇAĞLA DOĞAN

Özet:

In the age of globalized industrial production, traditional crafts have the potential to contribute to sustainable development through offering local approaches with potential social, environmental and economic benefits. Nevertheless, all over the world, crafts are in decline due to the reasons mainly led by industrialization. This study explores the existing traditional crafts at the site of the Ankara Castle, as one of the few craft production areas in Ankara, in relation to sustainability considerations, with an emphasis on localization and personalization. It then incorporates this knowledge into the development of design directions for the empowerment of both craft skills and craftspeople. In this sense, the research comprises of a number of phases. Firstly, via an in-depth literature review, the existing approaches in relation to empowering craft skills and knowledge through design are assessed and categorized. Secondly, in order to gain a holistic understanding on the conditions in the context of the study site, current craft skills and knowledge are examined through a field research including semi-structured interviews and field observations by the use of video and audio recordings. Lastly, the findings and insights from the field research contribute to the development of design directions for integrating local skills and knowledge into the design processes in an attempt to empower crafts for sustainability.