BIRE-PAN

This project aims to promote the widespread use of earthen architecture in new urban and rural developments, in line with the overarching goal of sustainable cities. The potential solutions earthen architecture offers across various dimensions, such as human health, efficient resource utilization, locality, economic viability, and cultural continuity, can only be realized to the extent that they are integrated into the construction sector. When the vernacular knowledge embedded in local architectural solutions is enhanced through modern design-to-production technologies, earthen architecture can become a vital part of contemporary architectural practice, capable of being prefabricated in factories and adapted to modern building codes and standards.

Examples of structures built with precast earthen panels and blocks manufactured in factory settings exist in the literature. However, it has been observed that these examples commonly rely on cement additives for soil stabilization or adopt solutions that do not align with human health and sustainability criteria. The objective of this project is to utilize biological additives in factory-produced earthen building components and to achieve appropriate sustainability standards in this domain.

Within the scope of the project, an interdisciplinary study was conducted to test formulations integrating various plant-based components and bacteria into earth materials. These new mixtures were evaluated across diverse performance metrics, including structural strength, water resistance, crack mitigation, and lightweight properties. Following the standardization of this building material (BIRE) for mass production, the subsequent goal in designing the precast building components was to expand the design space via computational design and fabrication technologies, establishing a design-to-production system (BIRE-PAN) that enables new form-pattern experimentation. Throughout this process, design was leveraged as an added value, aiming to establish a customizable design-to-production system (mass customization) rather than replicating a singular product in bulk (mass production).

Objectives:

• Enhancing soil formulations used in the rammed earth construction technique through biotechnological methods, drawing upon biomaterial research—an emerging domain within contemporary design research
• Adapting in-situ rammed earth construction systems into factory-manufactured building components and modern construction technologies
• Establishing a computational design-to-production system grounded in circularity, informed by a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach
• Validating the designed production system through the construction of a 1:1 scale Prototype Space
• Conducting on-site measurements within the prototype space to evaluate and report on various performance criteria in terms of building biology and ecology
• Organizing seminar series, participating in events such as symposia and panel discussions, and producing academic publications for knowledge sharing and dissemination
• Concurrently sharing insights gained throughout the process across diverse media platforms (film, web, social media)

Project Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fulya Özsel Akipek, BİLGİ Department of Architecture

Project Team: Prof. Dr. Tuğrul Yazar, BİLGİ Department of Architecture, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muammer Özbek, BİLGİ Department of Civil Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Büşra Aktürk, BİLGİ Department of Civil Engineering

Research Assistants: Department of Architecture Students: Elif Aybüke Turgut (MSc), Fatime Mermerci (MSc), Özge Miskioğlu (MSc), Yaren Nur Özgen (BSc). Department of Civil Engineering Students: Kağan Karadavut (BSc), Damla Berrak Çalık (BSc), Deniz Aktay (BSc), Ali Berk Bozan (BSc). Department of Genetics and Bioengineering Students: Buket Yeşiloğlu (BSc).

External Team Members: Prof. Dr. Hatice Gülen, İstinye University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Bilge Işık, Kerpic Network (Advisor), Dr. Birsen Cevher Keskin, TÜBİTAK-MAM / GEBI (Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute), Specialist Nurçin Öztürk, TÜBİTAK-MAM / GEBI.

Consultants: Özgül Öztürk, A Mimarlık, And Akman, Merve Titiz Akman, YBE (Building Biology and Ecology Institute), Sinem Serap Duran, Videographics / Visual Communication, Melodi Simay Acar, Kinetikhane

Main Sponsor: FIBROBETON YAPI ELEMANLARI SAN. İNŞ. VE TİC. A.Ş. Muhammed Maraşlı, Board Member, Hasan Bilgin, Yasemin Hatipoğlu, Aslı Hatipoğlu.