Evaluation of Adaptive Reuse in the Context of Sustainability: Cases from Kastamonu, Türkiye

Abstract

Changes in today’s living and comfort conditions negatively affect the use of historical buildings in accordance with their original functions, and as a result, these buildings can become idle. It is very important to preserve and maintain the original identities of historical buildings, as they carry the accumulation of the period in which they were built, which is an important element of the urban identity. With the adaptive reuse method, historical buildings that have lost their original functions are given a function again, these structures are revived, and their sustainability is ensured. This study uses the survey data of five historical khans in Kastamonu to reveal the success of adaptive reuse practices and their contribution to the sustainability of the historical environment. It includes analyzes made in the sample area, on-site examinations and observations, archive and literature review. The research shows that some of the adaptive reuses are made without considering the spatial and structural features of the existing structures and that the applications are not suitable for the material and color texture of the structures. For this reason, adaptive reuse studies should be well analyzed and implemented by authorized institutions and organizations both in the project and restoration stages. The study is important in terms of determining criteria for evaluating adaptive reuse in terms of international standards and evaluating adaptive reuse applications in Kastamonu historical city center within the framework of these criteria and emphasizing the problems.