Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Soil as Resource, Not Waste: A Trans-material Approach to Architectural Production
Soil has been central to defining matter and the source of everything, from pre-historic times to the Anthropocene. This by-design research frames soil as an active agent in production, questioning its displacement due to relentless construction. In Istanbul’s dense urban fabric, excavated soil is labeled as “lost,” severing its ecological and social ties. The city’s soil loss and its effects on other living organisms require a comprehensive solution. Therefore, the project focuses on a new materialistic perspective, examining the topic from a broader context. It aims to design a trans-material and transdisciplinary approach to building sites that reveals the importance of reimagining the excavated soil on-site as a resource shaping future social space. This study proposes site-specific interventions integrating architecture, material research, and alternative production methods. A system of diverse actors collaborates in reusing excavation soil, employing data mining to analyze urban transformation and project sustainable futures. The project explores circular processes by archiving prototypes that mix excavated soil with various materials. Ultimately, the study envisions a paradigm shift in the urban landscape, fostering new modes of collective spatial production and sustaining the interconnectedness of land, matter, and living beings.