Plenary Lecture
Ecological Approaches and Green Design Implementations in Interior Architecture
Assistant Professor Gozen Guner Aktas
Interior Architecture and Environmental Design
TOBB ETU University
Turkey
E-mail: gaktas@etu.edu.tr
Abstract: The concept of Ecological and Green design are significant topics that are discussed from lots of different disciplines around the world. The importance of those concepts are increasing everyday; while the world population is increasing and the overall quantity of natural resources is decreasing. The conflict of this century can be identified as “an increase in peoples’ life quality while a decrease in the overall consumption of natural resources”. Since the earth is a closed ecosystem, it will not be possible to support such an exponentially increasing population within the traditional growth-oriented economic models. Therefore, a shift in the current economic and socio-cultural framework is required: a transition from a traditional material and product paradigm to an emerging knowledge and service paradigm; a transition in which the research into ecological and green shifts from a technological and product-related innovation process to a broader techno-socio-cultural process. Ecological and Green design approaches are discussed in build environment by different scales. Interior architecture as a complex discipline can give great contributions to those concepts. The design of interior spaces can be considered as a complex process from the perspective that, the interior space ought to meet various human needs (ecological, physiological, emotional and socio-cultural) and as a result should stimulate life styles, functional necessities and various senses. On the other hand, interior spaces are the main living areas of the human beings. People spend most of their lives in interior spaces. So it is essential to discuss the concepts of Ecological and Green in interior spaces. Interior architecture discipline can give a great contribution to those concepts by using healthier interior materials, less polluting and more resource-efficient practices that promote the wellbeing of building occupants and results in less drain of the urban infrastructure and natural resources.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: Gozen Guner Aktas graduated from Bilkent University, Interior Architecture and Environmental Design department in Turkey in 1997. She worked as a research assistant and completed her masters degree in Interior Architecture and Environmental design at Bilkent University in 1999. She continued her professional career in some of the most important design firms of Turkey as an Interior Architect. She completed more than 50 Interior Architecture projects. During her professional career she also completed her PHD degree in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design department at Hacettepe University in Turkey. She is presently continuing her academic studies as an Asst. Professor at TOBB ETU University in the department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design. Her research interests are; public life and interior space relations, public interior spaces, recreational interior spaces, sustainability in interior spaces. She is the member of Chamber of Interior Architects of Turkey.