TOPLU KONUT YAPI BİLEŞENLERİNİN KALİTE BELİRLEMESİNDE KULLANICI DEĞERLENDİRMESİ

Housing problems of Turkey, and especially those in its metropolitan areas are based on migrations and sudden increases in population. Pressures for new housing, and constraints in the urban land markets brought the need for mass-production into the agenda of the late 70's. In this context, quantitative aspects of the housing problem have been the dominant form of reasoning, in support of the ideas and efforts related to 'mass-housing*. Qualitative and behavioural problems were not in consideration before the 90's. This had adverse effects both on the economy of the country in general, and on the user groups. Several confirmations and warnings about the circumstances have been duly made: When all of existing supply systems, as squatters and housing in planned areas are considered, sufficient number of houses are produced in quantitative terms; but an agreeable environmental and spatial quality is far from being achieved (Tekeli, 1995, 357-367; author's translation). Besides a shelter, the house has social, economic, psychological and cultural functions, and provides services to the user not only as a self-contained entity, but in entirety with its immediate environment. It is particularly this aspect of the mass-housing production that comes to the forefront, and justifies emphasis in the quality of the collective design, and intervention in the processes of provision of dwellings and in the shaping of their immediate environment. The special design tools and standards to maintain quality in the mass-housing environment therefore, introduce a most relevant area of study. The housing provision system in Turkey comprise the squatter-housing, the 'build-and-seir model, and the housing-cooperative processes. Mass-housing activity is also considered as another alternative form of such provision models. It is claimed that the formal aim of mass-housing is to prevent squatters or other illegal forms of housing, and mostly produced to meet the needs of the low-income groups. Mass-housing in this context is thus simply a method of constructing houses on cheaper land and publicly developed infrastructure provided at cost price (Türel, 1996, 57).It is a rare occasion that such development is considered an opportunity to maintain total environmental control, and it is a rare achievement that a better quality environment is ever obtained in the mass-housing projects, even though such projects are freely realised under independent administration and formal guidance. This incapacity is mostly due to efforts of lowering the costs in mass-housing, with the excuse of production for the low or middle-income groups. It is often pointed that an acceptable level of quality could neither be maintained at the dwelling units, nor in the communal environment. The issue bears greater significance when such investments are realised with great sacrifices, that could only be made once or twice during the life time for an ordinary middle-income household. Incentives for housing ownership did generate positive results in Turkey and the building stock grew rapidly. However, all attention given to quantitative growth relative to the previous plan-periods, gave rise to the negligence of quality. For this reason, many of the mass-housing settlements have serious qualitative problems.... It is essential that housing environments be designed to promote the individual, social and cultural enhancement. On the other hand, the quality of the house and its environment can be determined based on criteria measured by normative and numerical values.... The criteria to be developed must have operational relevance at the planning, design, construction, and maintenance stages.... (The 7th. Five-Year Development Plan, Report of Commission of Experts, 1996,11; author's translation). Apart from the General Technical Specifications of the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, no standards are available for the design and production of mass-housing in Turkey. Standards in the Ministerial Specifications on the other hand, either describe construction materials only, or determine the physical dimensions of spaces. This situation reveals the lack of concern and data related to quality of spaces, building components and materials other than the dimensional properties generalised from the construction technology: As global relations are intensified, there is greater obligation to consider international criteria in issuing standards and regulations for the construction sector. Building performance criteria must be particularly accommodated in regulations, and evaluated with respect to housing construction sector performance standards (the 7th. Five-Year Development Plan, Report of Commission of Experts, 1996,11; author s translation).