POLICE STATION FACADES: SEARCHING THE ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPRECIATE ALL

Year 2016, Volume: 29 Issue: 1, 35 - 48, 21.03.2016

Pınar Dinç Kalaycı , Mehmet Bünyamin Bilir

Abstract

This study proposes a model for measuring the responses of architects (n=32), teachers (n=51) and police officers (n=50) for a set of police station facades in order to diagnose the architectural style characteristics that affect these groups similarly.  Approachability, professional outlook and prestigious outlook were the independent variables as appreciation was the dependent variable of the study.  An expert group (n=5) assessed a large set of images (n=60) and related them with architectural characteristics (n=14).  Images with repeating characteristics were eliminated so a more reliable set of images (n=20) was used in the study.  Via the questionnaire, 11 questions were asked and 133 participants gave response.  Results indicated facades that were / had foursquare, well-defined entrance, massive-transparent, legible, elaborated, humanly-inhumanly scaled, static, traditional-reformer, traditional roof-modern roof, varied in colors, and monotonous in fenestration characteristics were raising positive response of all participants.  The study is important in terms of its potential to assist in decision giving processes of architects for the specific building type facades that has to give a positive image to whole society.  In addition, the study proposes a research model that is more specific to designers rather than psychology related disciplines via combining conventional research methodologies with architectural characteristics.     

Keywords

Police station design, perception, contemporary architecture, user response, aesthetic appreciation

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