Accessibility analysis of public buildings with graph theory and the space syntax method: government houses

Abstract

Building circulation is an important aspect of spatial formation. Accessibility is also important in public buildings where there are many users experiencing the buildings for the first time. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the spatial organization of government houses based on accessibility. Six government house buildings with different plan forms (I-L-T-U-courtyard-square form) were evaluated by a comparative analysis method using graph theory and space syntax, one of the spatial organization analysis methods used by Syntax2D 1.3 program. With this program, data regarding spatial organization are analyzed graphically and mathematically. According to this method, it is accepted that access is easy in structures with a low depth value and difficult in structures with a high depth value. A higher depth was determined in the U-form and courtyard form compared to other forms, in which I-L-T forms with a tree structure and the square form with a loop structure. For this reason, it is necessary to be careful in the use of courtyard forms and U-forms in public buildings because they negatively affect accessibility. According to the analyses, the types of plan forms that negatively affected access were identified.