Materials and Detail in Architecture - 11th Edition

Genco Berkin's book, Materials and Details in Architecture, published by YEM Yayın, was prepared with architecture, interior architecture, and landscape design students, as well as designers and practitioners new to the profession, in mind.

This book, published after Materials and Details in Interior Architecture, which was published last year and quickly became a fundamental reference due to its great interest, is the second book in YEM Yayın's "Materials and Details Series."

In Materials and Details in Architecture, 40 different design elements for architectural design, the processing of raw materials, considerations for material selection, and the most suitable detail solutions for on-site application are brought together and presented with original drawings.

All design parameters considered necessary for architectural design are discussed under the sections SITE | ORIENTATION | MATERIAL SELECTION, FOUNDATIONS, FLOORS, VERTICAL CIRCULATION, WALLS, WINDOWS AND DOORS, ROOFS, STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS, covering a very wide perspective ranging from site selection to landscape design, from reinforced concrete foundations to steel stairs, from expansion joints to trombe walls, and from off-axis doors to walkable terraces.

In Materials and Details in Architecture, all the data an architect or designer needs, from design to implementation, is conveyed in a simple and easily understandable way through carefully prepared drawings, with the aim of providing young designers, in particular, with a complete understanding to support the design process based on details and materials.

Genco Berkin summarizes the rationale and content of the book as follows:

“In architectural design, the duo of material and detail constitutes all the solution elements of the project. Whether design problems arise from function (architectural program) or location (site), the architect must provide a solution that can create value with the instruments he will use. If the conceptual dimension of architectural design emerges in the material or detail, the bond established with the space will be further strengthened and architectura magna will be realized.

Every structure should be thought of as a system of fragmented wholes, formed by the harmonious arrangement and combination of sufficient elements. While architects reveal physical and chemical formations through the materials they apply in their buildings, they also strive for the sustainability of holding these formations together with detail analysis. Every applied process will direct the building system towards becoming an artificial environment, but at this point, the architect must present the nature of the material in its most natural state. It should be remembered that every application is actually for the sake of increasing human comfort, because human health is adversely affected by artificial environments.

Architectural students should not be content with the information in this book but must also incorporate information from different sources into their repertoire. Prospective architects are primarily responsible for developing themselves in terms of raw material procurement, processing, and construction. In light of this information, material and detail analyses can reach a certain level. Since the parameters in architecture are constantly dynamic, architectural students must act with a research-oriented spirit and update their knowledge. In an environment where new materials are introduced every day, this book will also renew itself with each edition and keep up with the times…”