Architecture and space concepts are topics that have quite wide dimensions ... We can discuss architecture, which affects every frame of life under a wide variety of subheadings ranging from socio-cultural topics to popular culture. However, the biggest contact of each person with architecture begins with housing and the city…

Our Sensory Communication with Architecture …

First of all, it is necessary to look at architecture as a whole. Cities, structures, and semi-open-closed spaces are parts of the architectural whole and are always at our center, even if we do not notice in the flow of daily life... It is almost impossible to perceive architecture independently of life. We communicate through the senses with the residences we live in, the private or public spaces we enter and exit during the day, and the facades we see when we walk down a street, even if it is for a short period of time... There are various feelings that this communication creates in all of us. And in fact, we often remember places through these feelings, even if we are not aware …

Levin (1993) mentions that we have a very strong grasp of vision. All places and representations with which we communicate visually affect our perception level with this kind of insight. We record all the structures we see in our visual memory. We perceive all the places we are in through hearing (Pallasma, 2011). That is, individuals add something to themselves from places which they communicate with in their environment, and even take it into their own… So, all of this tells us that architecture is not just about visual representations, and that it has a substantial psychological impact on us…

Although we may not notice it, let's approach it step by step to know architecture better, which is so central to our lives. First of all, we can start talking about the two architectural concepts that we all communicate with the most often: Our big house “City“ and our small house is ”Residence"... We have an intense relationship with both of them every day of our lives. In short, with an abstract view, cities tell the life stories of communities and residences tell the life stories of people ... Both offer belonging to the individual; they are our safe spaces of different degrees that surround us. First of all, I thought it would be more inclusive and engaging for everyone to talk about our living spaces, or rather our living spaces in the dwelling, which is the most architectural place most of us spend the most time communicating with…

It is the most popular question asked to an architect…!

In fact, in creative terms, the space that we can spatially touch the most easily is our homes. In fact, everyone has a small architectural experience designing their own home. This is a kind of personalization adventure, we make the place our own and we look for a variety of ideas to nurture us… Hence, the questions that architects face the most often are usually about ‘home’.

The concept of design is ontologically a whole concept with its subject and user. In particular, when it comes to public and commercial spaces, design variables vary based on each subject, every space, every brand, every scale, and every field, each project is shaped by different codes. The specific importance of each subject is also separate. For example, different attitudes are adopted and different preferences are made in the design of a restaurant, store, hotel, or residence.

The ‘residence’ is the most personal of all among these... This is because it becomes personal for one person or a family… there is not a space where we spend more time than we do at home, which is followed by our offices. Meanwhile, the time of use of a place affects the material and color preferences for that place... As I said, all choices have a psychological background.

Of course, I do not want to get into professional architectural matters, but it should not be forgotten when it comes to design! The planning of each space is the most important factor in the beginning of design. So, it is pointless to identify other visual themes without having a good set-up of the flow. To better deliver all decorative elements, it is first necessary to solve the mathematics of the space. This functional story is even more critical, especially in public and commercial spaces due to various parameters...

In this context, generally residence users in urban centers, not in detached housing, often live in spaces where they cannot interfere with their functional story, but they can still determine the visual story by themselves at some point… furniture, colors, textures, lighting make the space we live in our own space and personalize it.

And Our Small House is ”Residence"...

Everyone has a different definition and expectations for their home. So, I am going to exemplify it over my personal preferences and, of course, with small professional suggestions.

First of all, we all need to make a definition of home for ourselves. ‘Home’ means a place for me to relax and find peace for me … So, my preferences are often shaped by a theme that will not stimulate the user's perception and keep the user calm…

I like monochrome options on surfaces, floors, ceilings, and furniture as much as possible. I prefer a simple, but a little bit of a moving atmosphere with details. I like the colorful objects accompanying this lean background or the color emphasis that dominates just one part of the house…

The theme I am aiming for in a house with all this is actually ‘serenity’. We can say that it is even more important to provide this aura, especially for those who like to spend time at home or spend a long time at home.

This monochromatic background also has the advantage that you can color it with different objects at any time and even provide variability in the space thanks to this. Sometimes, this can also meet the feeling of change that we all need. Even with minor changes in decoration, it also becomes compatible with summer or winter mode…

The theme of the recently popular ‘Nordic’ houses, which I also like very much, has almost a similar design… they even characterize it with the concept ‘hygge’; comfortable, friendly, peaceful, simple… This style provides a minimal, quiet environment, especially ideal for small residences.

The second most important highlight of the space is always the lighting design. Lighting is like the makeup that reveals the potential of any space... For example, there are places where I do not like to go because the lighting design isn’t true. Intense light, dominant colors, a lot of texture, and surface diversity are the stimuli that keep us more alive… It even irritates us sometimes… However, in our homes where we spend a long time, I think we should create environments where we can rest as much as possible.

However, it produces good results to combine different light sources, especially in large residences. This allows you to offer different usage options. Especially, I prefer indirect lighting at home except the workspaces. We need to organize these based on the targeted spatial aura...

Of course, we have generally mentioned small residences, so let's now talk about living spaces in small, detached residences... In fact, my expectation of the ‘house’ does not change much even if the scale increases. Again, I prefer a simple and calm aura as much as possible.

Of course, in detached houses, as the area increases, there may be variations in your choice of colors and materials. I like the use of darker colors as the volume increases in the dwelling. Normally, I like dark tones even though the volume is small in a store or restaurant, and it does not adversely affect the user because we don't spend a long time in these spaces. However, when the space is a residence, the time spent here increases, so I think it is necessary to sensitively approach the balance of space-color … although this is a recognized assumption, color perception can vary depending on people. As I have mentioned above, the house is a very private space.

However, especially for residences in the luxury segment; marble, glass, gross concrete, natural stone surfaces, with the use of leather, straw, wood, mirror, and metal details, the vegetative elements that accompany this look very good in residences. But, my choice is to use these materials with the leanest composition... And here, the mathematics of design is actually at work… so what, where, and how much you use it determines the aura of the environment you are targeting.

Another suggestion that I can offer to ensure these peaceful environments is especially on the simplicity of the furniture surfaces... When looking at a wall surface, the more manipulated the covers of existing cabinets are, the leaner they are used, and the more modern and more serene space is achieved. And in a design, especially on the surface, integrity esthetics is very important... Of course, in this article, we have talked about our living spaces in the residence. However, choices regarding the other parts of the residence can also be made according to the same philosophy. This design perspective applies to all areas of the residence…

And finally, another important thing that I can mention without further ado is art products… I think we should give more room to art products in our living spaces. There are pictures, photos, sculptures, iconic designs, or crafts that appeal to everyone's taste, make sense for them or give them peace. We can increase our awareness of this. I think we should integrate art into our living spaces more. In my perception of a residence, it is like a white cube that reflects these products… you can also blend all the equipment in the residence with them very well. Library and art products that inspire me in a home are essential… I especially care that parents with small children have more art products in their homes to improve their perceptions. Along with the general aura of the house as plain, calm, and in the background, it may be the best suggestion to save some place for art somewhere…