Exploring the effects of spatial and social segregation in university campuses, IZTECH as a case study

This study focuses on the spatial configuration of university campuses through the case study of Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH), settled outside of the city of Izmir. Isolated university campuses are interesting cases to examine, especially when there is a need to focus on the relationship between the campus life and collective spaces, in which open spaces play a major role. Although these campuses are planned as separate enclaves with the vision that academic life would require isolation, quietness and concentration, we argue that the campus design, especially their open spaces, should generate an interacting community balancing the inward-focused learning. In addition, we suggest that when a university campus fails to facilitate social gatherings through its spaces, both faculty and students are deprived of the fundamental reason of the university’s constitution. This article first presents the spatial analysis (space syntax analysis) examining the potentials of the physical configuration of campus for bringing students together. Second, we present the findings of the questionnaire surveying students’ choices for spatial practices. Syntax analysis and survey show that locally integrated lines are not supported with activities. Comparison of the frequency of use in actual practice both on the most integrated lines and on areas with strong visibility show that these spaces are not lived up to their potentials. This article is produced from the corresponding author’s ongoing PhD dissertation at the Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, under the supervision of Assist. Prof. Dr. Ela Çil.