The Digital Habitus of Architecture: Praxis of Design-oriented Internet Usage

Abstract

This study examines the visual-search and information-gathering behavior of architects in the early architectural design phase in relation to varied media tools. The study proposes the idea that navigation skills in online media help designers discover more creative solution areas during their design process. In continuation of our research, conceptual conclusions are made based on the results obtained from the field study and the literature review. In this context, we discuss the concept constituting the habitus of digital architecture. We re-evaluated our conceptual proposal by applying design experiments to examine the phenomena contained in the habitus of design-oriented research. We have discussed the results from the experiments in this article in detail; focusing on whether correlation exists between the interviewees’ expressions and designers’ practices. We then adapted field theory, as elaborated by Pierre Bourdieu in 1984, to the digital habitus of architecture. Afterward, by taking the process of design-oriented knowledge production into account, we have identified two fields of design-oriented digital habitus: online and offline. The fields forming the habitus of digital architecture and the possible advantages that may occur based on these fields have been identified. Finally, the meaning of having digital privilege for architects has been evaluated in terms of the future of architecture.

Keywords

• Digital habitus
• Digital privilege
• Search behavior
• Design tool practices
• Design-oriented search

Mimarlığın Dijital Habitusu: Tasarım odaklı İnternet Kullanım Pratiği

Abstract

Bu çalışma, değişen medyalara bağlı olarak erken mimari tasarım aşamasında mimarların görsel arama ve bilgi toplama davranışlarını incelemektedir. Çalışma, çevrimiçi ortamda gezinme becerilerinin, tasarımcıların tasarım sürecinde daha yaratıcı çözüm alanları keşfetmelerine yardımcı olduğu ve tasarımcıların son ürün temsillerine etki ettiği fikrini önermektedir. Araştırmanın devamında alan çalışması ve literatür taramasından elde edilen sonuçlara dayalı olarak kavramsal çıkarımlarda bulunulmaktadır. Bu bağlamda mimarlığın dijital habitusunu oluşturan kavramı tartışılmaktadır. Tasarım odaklı araştırma habitusunda yer alan olguları görmek için tasarım deneyleri uygulayarak kavramsal öneri yeniden değerlendirilmiştir. Bu makalede deneylerden elde edilen sonuçlar ayrıntılı olarak tartışılmış; görüşülen kişilerin ifadeleri ile tasarımcıların uygulamaları arasında korelasyon olup olmadığını araştırılmıştır. Daha sonra, Pierre Bourdieu tarafından 1984’te detaylandırıldığı şekliyle alan teorisi mimarinin dijital habitusuna uyarlanmıştır. Ardından, tasarım odaklı bilgi üretimi sürecini dikkate alarak, tasarım odaklı dijital habitusun iki alanı belirlenmiştir: çevrimiçi ve çevrimdışı alanlar (yazılım). Dijital mimarinin habitusunu oluşturan alanlar ve bu alanlara bağlı olarak ortaya çıkabilecek olası avantajlar belirlenmiştir. Son olarak mimarların dijital ayrıcalığa sahip olmasının anlamı, mimarlığın geleceği açısından değerlendirilmiştir.

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