Durability

The earthquake that struck in February in Turkey, leaving devastating effects in more than ten cities, was one of the events that brought housing practices into question and brought the topic of " durability" to the agenda in residential buildings, where a large part of the day is spent. However, " durability" does not only refer to earthquakes, but also to the ability of a residential structure to provide a safe and robust living space against environmental factors, severe and unusual weather conditions, and transformations over time.

Sustainability

As the climate crisis increases its impact every day, the issue of sustainability is becoming ever more prominent. Housing is considered a very important area for sustainability due to issues such as the natural resources consumed during the construction process of residential buildings and the resulting environmental pollution. Moreover, after the construction process is over, housing becomes one of the places where people consume the most resources in their daily lives. Therefore, sustainability in housing practices focuses on topics such as energy efficiency, water management, waste management, and renewable energy sources.

Portability

Post-pandemic lifestyle changes, the need to travel, earthquakes, etc. make housing portability a frequently discussed topic. Portability, which can be achieved mostly through prefabricated and mobile homes, makes it possible to locate housing in cities or the countryside, on the coast, or in the forest.

Cost

The issue of cost has become an important aspect that has led to new quests in housing practices, especially due to the recent increase in high housing rents in metropolitan areas, and has led to the search for more economically viable housing.

While many examples have emerged as solutions to all these new searches in housing practices, the most popular examples can be listed as follows:

RVs: These are homes that can be transported in a special vehicle or offer a small residential space through their engine. Although they are usually used for travel or vacation, the number of people who spend their lives entirely in RVs today is not to be underestimated.

Prefabricated / Modular Houses: These are known as earthquake-resistant structures as they are lightweight and low-rise and are built using the assembly method in the factory. While the construction time is lower, the cost is also lower than traditional construction techniques.

Mobile Homes and Tiny Houses: A new generation of small-sized, portable houses. Usually with living spaces of less than 20 square meters, it is possible to transport them as they are built on a wheeled vehicle.

Light Steel Houses: Light steel profiles are flexible, strong, and long-lasting structural elements due to their forms and connection principles. Among their most important advantages are their resistance to large-scale earthquakes, resistance to corrosion and rust, shortening the construction period, and high recycling rate.

Consequently, it seems clear that as the rapid change and transformation in today's conditions continue, new quests will keep on going in housing practices and different topics will come to the fore day by day.