Full Length Research Paper

Sustainable building design in Duzce case with reference to earthquake resistant building design

Elmas Erdogan^1,2*, Zuhal Dılaver¹ and A. Nuket Benzer¹

¹Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Ankara, Diskapi, 06110 Ankara, Turkey.

²Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Landscape Architecture Department 06110 Diskapi/Ankara/Turkiye.

Corresponding author. E-mail: eerdogan@agri.ankara.edu.tr  or nuketbenzer@gmail.com.  Tel: + 90 312 596 17 32. Fax: +90 312 317 64 67. 

Accepted 31 August, 2009

   Abstract

After the Duzce earthquake in November, 1999, 12, 70% of the built environment was ruined in the Urban area. After the removal of the ruins that Urban area was turned into a huge open space. This was not the first earthquake in Duzce. The earliest earthquake occurred in 1967. However, although it was large, there was no serious damage or death in Duzce because of the high density of traditional timber skeleton structures in the Urban area that have been mainly replaced with apartment blocks. In the following period, the rapid increase of the density of the high rise buildings and apartments in the urban center caused the loss of old traditional houses of the region. So, by the following earthquake in 1999, Duzce's Urban center was ruined and after the removal of the ruins, the city became a huge open space. The mass housing and construction activities are continuing in the new settlement areas selected due to the ground qualities of the land outside the city center. This paper is based on research dealing with urban renewal activities after the earthquake in Duzce. In this paper, sustainable Urban and building design parameters and their application possibilities for Duzce's Urban center in the frame of Urban renewal activities were studied. Establishing a sustainable and ecological building construction systems and qualified housing areas convenient for a settlement subject to earthquakes is discussed. Ways to design quality housing and lots in new urban centers linked with regeneration of the affected areas have been determined. The traditional/vernacular housing and building structure of the region was introduced. The hints for actual housing design from the traditional housing applications and the development of comfortable and safe reconstruction housing areas will be proposed for such a sustainable and disaster managed urban environment both in general scale and for the Duzce case. The evaluation of traditional architectural values formed through centuries shaped due to environmental factors in recent uses was emphasized.

Key words: Earthquake resistant building design, Duzce earthquake, housing, sustainable building design.