DS as an Atypical Architectural Practice: From Rural Painting to Landscape - From Documentation to Conservation

DS as an Atypical Architectural Practice | From Pastoral Painting to Landscape – From Documentation to Conservation attempts to delve into these specific areas of architecture through the experiences of Deniz Aslan and Sevim Aslan, founding partners of DS, who specialize in landscape architecture and documentation for conservation. Their personal stories, spanning from their student years to the beginning of their professional lives and up to the present day, also offer clues about the stages Turkish architectural practice has undergone during this period (the last thirty years). As we listen to them, we grasp that architecture is not merely about designing buildings; we begin to perceive its multi-dimensionality and richness that emerge when viewed in relation to its context and its past-present-future. We feel with them the excitement of getting to know the material, conducting experiments, discovering new methods, and engaging in research that sometimes borders on detective work. Of course, there are also disappointments, reckonings, and even resentments. Their experiences also help us get to know other actors who have lived/are living with similar passion. Actors who love plants, stones, and soil with passion, eagerly observe life processes; enthusiastically share, publish, and multiply their knowledge with their students.

The dual phrases in the book's long title, "From Pastoral Painting to Landscape," refer to the common perception of the concept of landscape. Perhaps it is precisely because of that 'pastoral painting' perception that many architects today mistake landscape architecture for 'gardening.' "From Documentation to Conservation" refers to the idea that ideal conservation depends on the quality of documentation. The term "atypical" in the title is also the key to the book's structure. This book was not conceived as a typical memoir, a portfolio publication, or an attempt to read practice from a theoretical framework. The book is structured around the people, projects, and experiences that formed thresholds in the lives of Deniz and Sevim Aslan. In that respect, it has a deeply personal aspect. The way some of these thresholds are addressed – with their contextualizations presented as cross-sections from different time periods of both professional practice and the academic environment – can also be considered as case studies in terms of methodology.