ARCH464: Architect & Civil Engineer Collaboration | ZAFER KINACI

This week, Zafer Kınacı contributed to Arch 464 course as a speaker. Mr. Kınacı is a civil engineer and also owner of Kınacı Engineering Company in Ankara. He has dealing with structural projects of lots of buildings in Ankara such as Next Level, Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Hotel and fitness center building of TEDU.

First of all, he mentioned about the structural system which they use in wide-span spaces. Actually, throughout my architectural education, I prefer using steel construction system in my projects in order to have large and spacious spaces without lots of columns because I always think that concrete is not an appropriate material in terms of structure and we can leave even 15 meter space between 2 columns by the usage of steel. However, steel is an expensive material in professional life and clients do not prefer it. Thus, as architects, we should find the way to design large multipurpose spaces with less columns. Zafer Kınacı gave us so valuable information about this issue. He talked about post tensioned concrete. This system is both practical in large spaces and not as expensive as steel construction. The crucial feature of this system is the usage of parabolic ropes. These ropes decrease the momentum of loads so the distances between columns increase. First of all, the reinforcement of the construction is installed as usual then, the ropes are located inside the reinforcement system. After this process, concrete is poured into the system and it is left almost a week in order to make concrete strength. Then, the ropes are stretched with the help of a mechanical system. At this process, the ropes apply force to concrete towards up and this force decreases the deflection of the concrete floor towards to down. This stretching process is applied only one time and after this process, the ropes are completely located into the concrete in order to block the air contact. Via this post-tensioned concrete system, Mr. Kınacı said that they were even able to locate columns with 40 meters distances between them.

After explaining the system, he showed and gave information about his projects designed with post-tensioned concrete system. For example, in Sheraton Hotel project, while there is 2 columns alignment with 18 meters distance between them in aboveground floors, there is again 2 columns alignment with 23 meters distance in underground car parking floors. In order to do that, one column alignment should not continue underground level and Zafer Kınacı could do it with the usage of post-tensioned concrete. Another important example is Al Fateh University in İstanbul. At this project, it is possible to design structural system of columns with 40 meters distance and beams with 2 meters wide. If he used steel construction, the cost of the system was 2.300.000 dollars. However, he prefers post-tensioned concrete and the total cost was 950.000 dollars. The number is more than 2 times and it is very important for the client. Other example is Next Level in Ankara. Next Level is a complex building which consists of office, residence, shopping mall and car parking part to of each other. So, calculation and solution structural system which could be adaptable all types of usage is quite difficult. Via the characteristic of post-tensioned concrete, Mr. Kınacı could solve the whole structural system with a single grid. Besides these, the system enables architects and civil engineers to design columns with 80 centimeters wide. If we use reinforced concrete system, the columns should have 150 centimeters wide and it is very negative thing in terms of quality of spaces.

I am very happy to meet Mr. Kınacı because I heard about civil engineers that they always make troubles and do not let architects design structural system with less columns for wider spaces. However, Zafer Kınacı is very innovative civil engineer that all architects want to work with.

ARCH464: Organization in a Large Scale Project | CEM ALTINÖZ

Last week, Cem Altınöz participated in our Arch 464 course. Mr. Altınöz is one of the partners of Öncüoğlu Architects which is an architectural company in Ankara and also, he comes to the university as an instructor of our design courses in TEDU.

Cem Altınöz gave some information about project development process and organization in large scale projects in regarding to his experiences throughout his professional life. First of all, he pointed out the issue that the difference between large scale and small scale projects cannot be some more square-meter space. If we talk about a large scale project, there are lots of parameter and details. This means that large scale projects are not the projects designed by only an architect. At this point, architects should collaborate with different project groups and consultants. The communication between all groups is very important and it should be concurrent.

Mr. Altınöz said that –as architects- they have worked with almost 25 different project groups, consultants and the client. Then, he explained some of them. For example, acoustic of spaces is important and in order to provide accurate acoustic in space, there should be some calculations. The height of space, material characteristics and sound insulation are parameters of this calculation. Another important issue is fire escape. The consultant should be involved in the design process from the beginning because he calculates the escape distance, locations, exit of car parking area and the type of walls and doors. These calculations and decisions affect the plans of spaces.

Under the title of façade, the architects deal with almost 20 issues. For example heat, light and sound problems should be solved with a single and economic way. Thus, the architect should use a type of glass which blocks the heat and sound however takes the light inside at the same time. Calculation of the dimensions of glass in regarding to wind load and cost is another important detail. Also, the detailed plan and section drawings of façade are generally drawn by mechanical engineers.

Drawing and understanding ceiling plans are another important issue because all layers should be examined in terms of relations and combinations of systems. At this point, mechanical HVAC system plans are important.

Architectural section and plan drawings should be drawn with the details of material types, codes, layers of walls and floors. These drawings are also necessary for performing quantity takeoff. Besides, the zone list is made with plan drawings of floors.

The course was very informative in terms of having some information about project development process and its challenges. Thanks for the nice speech to Cem Altınöz.

ARCH464 | Chamber of Architects Speech by Muteber Osmanpaşaoğlu

Last week, Muteber Osmanpaşaoğlu who is a member of the board from chamber of architects in Ankara came to our Arch 464 ‘Construction and Management’ course and gave some information about the chamber and its activities.

First of all, she mentioned about structure of the chamber. Chamber of architects was established in 1954 however; it actually comes from the time of Ottoman Empire in terms of function. Selection of members of the board is based on voluntariness because the members also have their own business except the chamber. Ankara is one of the most active chambers in Turkey and there are almost nine thousand members.

Then, she talked about the activities of the chamber. There are some journals of the chamber like Bülten and Mimarlık. One of the main aims of the chamber is to work for the benefit of the society and country. Thus, the chamber deals with lots of architectural issues in Ankara and Turkey. For example, at the time that the first bosphorus bridge in İstanbul was decided to construct, the chamber evaluated the decision and objected in order not to construct because they thought that after construction, only one bridge cannot be enough so the second and third one will be needed to construct. Because of the negative effects of constructions on the sea and environment, the chamber did not want construction however this evaluation does not mean anything for the authorities. Also, the chamber follows the decisions decided by the members of parliament and debates them in terms of environmental effects in today and the future. Besides, the members aim to protect the cultural properties of Turkey and try to register them. Other issues which are still on the agenda are the cases of Atatürk forest farm and the mosque in parliament buildings area.

She said that the architects can also come to the chamber and share their problems with members. Besides, being a member of chamber is protects architects legally because when an architect goes to the chamber and presents his project to control by members, his project is recorded to the system. Thus, when somebody else comes with a similar project, the chamber informs that architect.

Lastly, Muteber Osmanpaşaoğlu talked about ÇED repot which means Çevre Etki Değerlendirme in Turkish. The report is about evaluation of the environmental effects of projects and it is necessary for large scaled projects over 25.000 sqm. If the report is unfavourable, then the project is recorded as suspected.

The speech was very informative about the professional life of architects and I am glad to meet with her.

ARCH 464 | PROFESSION

As a 4th year student, this is the last semester in my architectural education life. While I am getting closer to become an architect and professional life, I took the Arch464 course ‘Construction and Management‘ this semester. In 24th of February, Bilge İmamoğlu came to the course and he gave a lecture about ‘profession’ in architecture. Here is some important details from the lecture;

First of all, we focused on the terms profession, professional, professionalism, professionalization and their dictionary meanings. Profession means ‘meslek’ in Turkish and it requires education, training and skill. The noun ‘professionalism’ consists of skill, good judgement and polite behavior and it is the act of being profession. And the last term ‘professionalization’ is the process which is necessary to become professional.

After understood the concepts, he mentioned about how this being professional issue comes from. Firstly, the importance of being profession is that anybody should not do any job. For example, everybody cannot be a doctor and operate surgery on people or being an architect requires some design skill and perception. Therefore, people thought that every person should focus on a particular profession and improve himself at that field. By the way, because having a profession requires education, training and skill, being a cap driver is not a profession. It is an occupation. Educational institutions, publication of professional journals and exhibitions are some steps on the road of professionalization. Also enlightenment, industrialization and urbanization processes effect it in a positive way.

The first technical school in Turkey was Mühendishane-i Bahri Hümayun opened in 1782. After that Mekteb-i Berri Hümayun (1795), Mekteb-i Mülkiye (1859), Mekteb-i Sanayi-i Nefise-i Şahane (1882), Hendese-i Mülkiye (1884) and Dar-ül Fünün (1845) were opened. The important thing here is that opening schools and institutions is so important; however there is more crucial thing that those ones should be maintained with production and flow of information. Thus, opening a school is not enough for professionalization.

This lecture was so helpful to understand the starting point of all professions which are legal today and to know the processes and requirements of being professional.