Unkapani Upcycle: Cultivating Grassroots Enterprise And Urbanism In Istanbul

Pervasive environmental and social crises necessitate the invention of new models for conceptualizing architecture. In pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable paradigm, our research lies at the intersection of social equity through community engagement, the adaptive enhancement of architecture & urban fabric, and sustainable practices centered on the salvage & re-use of materials and infrastructure. Our research questions are prompted by this same approach: can the emergent conditions and needs of a fully contemporary project help inform its expression, use, and cycle of life in more advantageous ways than the two positions above? How might we structure an a posteriori methodology that allows for flexible project-making alongside the changing conditions of buildings in time? The current locus for our research is the city of Istanbul, a metropolitan region unique in its historical, cultural & political contexts, yet simultaneously representative of pervasive social, economic and environmental conditions in cities across the globe. Istanbul’s population exceeds 20 million people, including several million displaced by economic conditions in rural regions of Türkiye, and political and sectarian violence beyond Türkiye’s borders, especially Syria and Afghanistan. Most among this migrant population have had to survive by submitting to Istanbul’s vast informal economy, and who opt to live in primitive conditions in the old city center in order to find ready work as scavengers and recyclers, strategically foraging for cardboard, plastic, metals, and other materials.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AIA.InterMaterialEco.23.36

Volume Editors
Caryn Brause & Chris Flint Chatto