Evaluation of Local Architectural Characteristics in Mass Housing Areas: The Case of the Southeastern Anatolia Region

Abstract

The Mass Housing Administration (TOKİ), which has a significant share in housing production, has started to take into consideration the traditional architectural features of the cities where it has been working in recent periods.Vernacular or traditional architecture—defined in the literature as reflecting a region’s cultural heritage, spatial habits, and use of local materials—forms the basis of this study. In this context, the study reveals to what extent TOKİ reflects the local architectural character in the housing projects it has built in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Gaziantep and Batman were selected as case cities, focusing on key elements shaping their traditional residential fabric, such as the courtyard–iwan relationship, stone masonry techniques, climate-responsive spatial solutions, and topography-based settlement patterns. The study employs literature review, field observation and photographic documentation. Traditional housing typologies in each city were first analyzed and then compared with current TOKİ projects. Findings indicate that the region’s vernacular architecture is characterized by courtyards, semi-open spaces like iwans, thick stone walls and shaded transitional areas. However, in TOKİ projects, most of these features were used only superficially, such as façade, color, and form comparisons; fundamental elements such as climate adaptation, topography, courtyard layout, and spatial organization were not adequately reflected.