Fw: 6th International Seminar on Vernacular Settlements, 19-21 April 2012, North Cyprus - SECOND CALL

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SeCoND CaLL

 

 

The International Seminar on Vernacular Settlements (ISVS) is pleased to have the second call for the ISVS-6; the sixth ISVS Conference in Famagusta, hosted by the Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus between the dates 19-21 April, 2012.

 

ISVS aims to promote awareness and research on vernacular traditions by organizing seminars focused on important aspects of vernacular every two years in specifically chosen places across the globe. The last seminar, ISVS-5 held in Colombo, Sri Lanka focused on Vernacular Futures provided a great opportunity to explore the future of the vernacular traditions resulting in a suggestion that the survival and continuity of vernacular traditions may lie in ordinary informal buildings which are usually not regarded as vernacular. Building upon this insight, ISVS-6 in 2012 is delighted to lead the debate on vernacular traditions of contemporary societies and their building and settlement forms which display the same characteristics of the conventionally conceptualized ‘vernacular’. This does not mean that the ‘historical vernacular’ is out of the conference scope. Instead juxtaposition of ‘historical vernacular’ and the ‘contemporary vernacular’ is expected to be explored in such a way that the nuances of their makings, and relevance in today’s world could be understood thoroughly.

 

Under this scope, ISVS-6 is delightfully announced on the theme ‘Contemporary Vernaculars: Places, Processes and Manifestations’ to incite and welcome interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners from around the world working in the disciplines of architecture, art & architectural history, urban studies, city & regional planning, cultural studies, anthropology, sociology and environmental studies for proposing papers and meeting in North Cyprus in April 2012. ISVS-6 also expects to attract young researchers involved in postgraduate studies on contemporary vernaculars and offers a scientific platform to present and discuss their hypothesis and arguments, understandings and approaches, and methods and models with the scholars participating in the seminar. 

 

Please, note that submision of abstracts for all sessions is postponed to 14^th October, 2011. Once approved by the end October, final papers are due on 30^th January 2012.

 

ISVS considers publication and expansion of knowledge and experiences on Vernacular traditions as one of its key objectives. With this purpose in mind, ISVS-6 has negotiated with the prestigious OPEN HOUSE INTERNATIONAL (Vol 37, No. 3 September Issue, 2012), journal to publish 3 selected papers which will meticulously deal with the themes of ISVS-6. Once chosen, the authors of the selected papers may have some revisions to be made upon the suggestions of journal's editorial board.

 

The venue of ISVS-6, Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and houses different building traditions; testimony to rich living patterns and complex interactions between different Mediterranean communities and cultures over successive generations from Asia Minor, the Middle East, Africa and Europe for three millennia. Evidently, natural and built environments strongly reflect this cultural complexity of the island. As the home of several civilizations and different geographic characteristics, the vernacular architecture of Cyprus undeniably exhibits a variety of building forms and traditions. However, they are now struggling to survive under the present day circumstances as in other parts of the world in different ways and modes on which this conference will focus. The conference participants will have a unique opportunity to visit and experience for themselves some of the unique vernacular traditions, and built forms of North Cyprus in the company of those who care and cherish those traditions.

 

We invite you to send your abstract for a paper presentation and join us in North Cyprus in April 2012 for an enjoyable and unique opportunity to explore the vernacular of the contemporary world.

 

Contact

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hifsiye PULHAN, Conference Chair
Housing Education Research Advisory Center (HERA-C)

Faculty of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University

Famagusta, North Cyprus

(via Mersin-10 Turkey)

e-mail: hifsiye...@emu.edu.tr

Phone: +90 392 630 2042 / 630 1346

Fax: +90 392 630 2365

 

Secretariat

Send inquiries to: isv...@emu.edu.tr

 

Conference website: http://isvs-6.emu.edu.tr

 

Conference Theme

“…No such thing as traditional building but rather buildings that embody certain Vernacular traditions…” Paul Oliver.

For far too long, vernacular has been relegated to the past. It has always been assumed that it must be native or unique to a specific place, produced long-ago with available sources and skills, and possibly built by the ancestors who occupy it. For anything to be considered vernacular, this is the assumed process experienced, transmitted and completed in the past with the aid of tradition. However, recent debates reveal that continuity of tradition is still valid and it is not over. The architecture with dynamic and changing vernacular traditions is still emerging in new forms, processes and modes. As it was in the past, the practice of transmission has let the way of understanding vernacular tradition and maintaining it in newly built forms. The only difference is possibly that the practice of transmission is experienced differently in an era of technological advancements and increased communication.

 

Since Modernism had banished tradition which was the driving force of the vernacular of the past, contemporary world has been perceived and presented as a land where vernacular exists only in the settlements that had evolved from the past and had not acquired the makings of the present societies. In fact, the acts of the present societies have often been accused of being insensitive, if not ‘destroying’ and therefore being a threat to the vernacular of the past. There is no doubt that there are many situations where these assertions stand well justified. However, at the ISVS-5, the keynote speaker Dr. Peter Kellett called for a re-examination of this perception and argued that in fact, the ordinary informal buildings of the present societies also display the same characteristics of the conventionally conceptualized vernacular. As Peter argues, ‘if our definitions are appropriately framed, we may regard much contemporary construction to be a continuation of existing vernacular traditions’.

 

In current thinking, what has invested value in the vernacular is the presence of tradition. Beyond its visual and symbolic qualities, in a time of rapid ecological, social and physical changes, concerns for the maintenance of local identities and an awareness of the need to provide sustainable built environments have entailed the interest in vernacular traditions and their advantages in terms of cultural and environmental appropriateness. Tradition is considered as an entity which has been ‘handed down’ and will also be handed down to the future. In looking at the contemporary built-environments, the argument that modernity has banished tradition can thus be problematised and more appropriate meanings for both vernacular and tradition need to be sought. The terms ‘traditional’ and the ‘vernacular’ meet where vernacular goes back to its Latin meaning as ‘things that are home-made, home-spun, home-grown, not destined to the market place, but are for home use only’.

 

When the concept of home is this much associated with tradition and thus vernacular, the contemporary informal settlement is suggested as the epitome of contemporary vernacular arises indeed as the natural place of their manifestations. Informal housing and all housing activities for that matter which produce things involving processes within families and among communities are then also places where such manifestations of contemporary vernaculars exist. Simply put, whatever people do by themselves without professional involvement and for their own purposes of ‘being in the world’ is indeed vernacular; whether it’s making food, clothes or buildings.

 

In this self-production process, contemporary vernaculars are still the medium of creative and innovative forms and ideas in which knowledge of the past and the demands of the present society interact. Tradition associates with the expectations and social acceptance rather than, as is often recorded, constraints. It is changing and varied through active processes of transmission, interpretation and negotiation. However, the change and adaptation of vernacular building traditions in the twenty-first century to new circumstances occurred in a context of unprecedented advancements in technologies and ideologies all of which need to be pursued. North Cyprus, as the venue of the ISVS-6, will provide a great opportunity to observe and interrogate those implementations in the built environment with an incredible speed in the circulation of materials, movement of people, and transfer of information. 

 

The idea of cities as not only spaces that supports or fosters the ingenuity associated with vernacular in various forms, but also as an idea or a mental construct needs to be understood further to make sense of its material cultural productions. The material reality and the tectonics of these new vernaculars have been largely ignored in place for systemic or visual studies. There is a gap of knowledge about the material constructs’ structural systems and skill productions associated with vernaculars today. The role of urban and rural community structure with the contemporary process of construction also needs to be further deconstructed to locate the vernacular in the particular socio-economic context.

 

In this context, the theme of the ISVS-6 will explore contemporary vernacular: the places where they occur, the processes involved and the ways in which they manifest. This does not mean that the ‘historical vernacular’ has been abandoned. Rather, we invite the juxtaposition of historical vernacular and the contemporary vernacular in such a way that we will be able to understand the nuances of their makings, and relevance in today’s world morefully.

 

Accordingly, the following sub-themes are suggested:

 

1.     Contemporary Vernaculars: Theory, philosophy and ideology

2.     Vernacular from past to present: History of ‘here and now’

3.     Vernacular futures: Trends, fashions and inclinations

4.     Mobility and Adaptability of Vernacular Traditions

5.     Migration, Displacement and Vernacular Practices

6.     Practicing vernacular: professionals and people

7.     Temporary vernaculars: Sheltering, camping, rituals and ceremonies

8.     Informal settlements and the vernacular practices: slums villages and cities

9.     City as a staging ground of Contemporary Vernacular

10.  Language and tectonics of Contemporary Vernacular

 

Our dedicated ISVS participants and others are invited to propose research papers on any one of the above themes, or any other to be presented at the forthcoming Seminar in North Cyprus in April, 2012. Please submit abstracts not more than 350 words through the ISVS-6 website at http://www.isvs-6.emu.edu.tr (formatted in word for windows or equivalent) before 14^th October 2011. Once approved by the end October, final papers are due on 30^th January 2012. Please, visit conference website for abstract guidelines.

 

All received abstract will be reviewed by international referees and the accepted abstracts will be invited to be expanded into full conference papers. Full conference papers will be published in the conference proceeding book.

 

Keynote Speakers

 

Howard DAVIS                       

Professor,School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon, UNITED STATES OF AMERİCA

Nabeel HAMDI                        

Emeritus Professor, School of Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, UNITED KINGDOM                

Süha ÖZKAN                                

Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, TURKEY

Marcel VELLINGA

Associate Professor, School of Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, UNITED KINGDOM      

 

Conference Venue

 

The conference will be held in the Faculty of Architecture Lecture Halls at EMU campus. EMU campus is 10 minutes driving distance from the city center and locates on the Salamis Road. Salamis Road is one of the major arteries of Famagusta leading towards the easternmost cape point of the island on the Karpaz Peninsula. 

 

Conference Organization

 

Organizing institutions

 

Housing Education Research and Advisory Center (HERA-C),

Faculty of Architecture - Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus

Web: http://hera.emu.edu.tr

 

International Seminar on Vernacular Settlements (ISVS)

Web: http://www.isvshome.org

 

 Honorary Chair

 

Prof. Dr. Abdullah ÖZTOPRAK                          Rector of EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

 

Conference Advisory Committee

 

Prof. Dr. Şebnem HOŞKARA                             Dean of Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Türkan Ulusu URAZ              Head of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pratyush SHANKAR               Head of Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, INDIA (Secretary, ISVS)

 

Conference Scientific Committee

 

Prof. Dr. Günkut AKIN                                                            Dean of Faculty of Architecture, Bilgi University, TURKEY

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aydan BALAMİR                    Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, TURKEY

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uğur Ulaş DAĞLI                    Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS      

Prof. Howard DAVIS                                School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Assist. Prof. Dr. Ranjith DAYARATNE              Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Bahrain, BAHRAIN

Prof. Madhavi DESAI                                          Adjunct Faculty, CEPT University, INDIA

Prof. Miki DESAI                                                  Head of Graduate Program on Sustainable Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, INDIA

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür DİNÇYÜREK                 Head of Department of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assist. Prof. Dr. Kağan GÜNÇE                         Head of Department of Interior Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Prof. Dr. Orhan HACIHASANOĞLU                    Dean of Faculty of Architecture, ITU, TURKEY

Prof. Dr. Kingston HEATH                                  Director, Historic Preservation Program, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon, USA

Prof. Dr. Omar KHATTAB                               Head of Dept of Architecture, College of Engineering & Petroleum, Kuwait University, KUWAIT

Prof. Dr. Ahmed KOUMAS                                 ENSAT-Graduate School of Life Science, Ecole d’Architecture de Toulouse, FRANCE

Prof. Dr. Ibrahim NUMAN                                   Director, Engineering & Science Institute, Fatih Sultan Mehmet University, TURKEY

Prof. Dr. Derya OKTAY                                       Director of URDC, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin ORBAŞLI                       School of Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, UNITED KINGDOM 

Prof. Dr. Mesut ÖZDENİZ                                   Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Prof. Dr. Ahsen ÖZSOY                                     Vice Rector, Istanbul Technical University, TURKEY

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pratyush SHANKAR              Head of Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, INDIA

Prof. Gunawan TJAHJONO                               Chairman, LSAI-Institute of Indonesian Architectural Historian, University of Indonesia, INDONESIA

Prof. Dr. Hülya TURGUT                                     Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Bahçeşehir University, TURKEY

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özlem Olgaç TÜRKER           Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Associate Prof. Dr. Johannes WIDODO       Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, SINGAPORE

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marcel VELLINGA                 School of Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, UNITED KINGDOM                                         

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Netice YILDIZ                         Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH

 

 

Conference Organizing Committee

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hıfsiye PULHAN                     Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS (Chair, ISVS-6)

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Resmiye Alpar ATUN                 Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assist. Prof. Dr. Polat HANÇER                        Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS   

Assist. Prof. Dr. Beril Özmen MAYER            Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assist. Prof. Dr. Nazife ÖZAY                          Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assist. Prof. Dr. Zehra ÖNGÜL                        Member of HERA-C, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Assist. Prof. Dr. Beser OKTAY VEHBİ                  Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

 

Sevil AYDINLIK                                                   Ph.D. Candidate, Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Shayan HEIDARIAN                                            Ph.D. Candidate, Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Sima NABIZADEH                                               Ph.D. Candidate, Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Parastoo POURVAHIDI                                      Ph.D. Candidate, Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

Mohsen Shojaee FAR                                                          Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, EMU, NORTH CYPRUS

 

Conference Schedule

 

14 October 2011                      Deadline for abstract submission

31 October 2011                      Notification of acceptance of abstracts

30 January 2012                      Deadline for full paper submission

06 February 2012                     Registration

19-21 April 2012                       ISVS - 6

22-23 April 2012                       Post-Conference Trip

 

Registration*   

 

Full participants                                             175 Euros

            Co-participants                                               100 Euros

            Students* and accompanying persons             75 Euros

                                  

*The conference fee will include three lunches, opening cocktail, farewell dinner, coffee breaks & Seminar package with conference proceeding.

 

*Full-time students are required to provide a letter or certificate proving their studentship at an academic institution.  

 

 

Please download, fill and send registration form together with a bank draft indicating your registration payment to the bank account:

 

IS BANK

IBAN: TR170006400000268200775504

SWIFT CODE: ISVK TR ISXXX

 

The bank draft should be drawn in favour of "ISVS-6 / Faculty of Architecture".

 

The payment document should be e-mailed to:  isv...@emu.edu.tr or fax to: 00 90 392 630 2365

 

 

Post- Conference Trip

 

Following the conference, two days trip (22-23 April) will be offered at for an additional fee. This trip will be in a luxury coach and will take participants to historic and natural sites in North Cyprus.  

 

Program and further details on the Post- Conference Trip will be available in the conferance website soon.

 

Transportation

                     

Passport and Visa: All visitors except Turkish citizens need a valid national passport (provided that your passport has 6 months of validity at time of arrival) for entry to Northern Cyprus. The citizens of European Union (EU) nations, Turkey, USA, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan do not require visa*.

Please, let us know your travel schedule and passport number in order to inform airport staff about your purpose in North Cyprus

 * All other nationals should check their position with regard to passports and visas with the nearest Embassy or Office of Representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Participants from Europe and Asia:

Connection flight via Istanbul to Ercan Airport (ECN) in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), North Cyprus

 

You may flight from any major airport to the Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökcen Airport (SAW) in Istanbul to be connected to the flight arriving Ercan Airport (ECN) in North Cyprus. This is the flight to Istanbul with any European or Asian carrier. From Istanbul to Ercan Airport (ECN), you may take a flight from one of the Turkish airline companies.

 

Turkish Airlines, Atlasjet, Pegasus, Onur Air and Sky are the major airline companies that have regular flights to North Cyprus. You may enter their website and arrange your travel from Turkey to North Cyprus very easily. You can flight from Istanbul to Ercan Airport (North Cyprus) with several daily flight options. In Turkey, there are also other airports in Ankara, İzmir, Antalya, Trabzon and Gaziantep that you can also directly flight to North Cyprus.

 

 

Participants from USA:

Connection flight via Istanbul to Ercan Airport (ECN) in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), North Cyprus

 

You may flight from any major US Airport to Ercan Airport (ECN) in North Cyprus via Istanbul. This is the flight of Turkish Airlines.  You can directly flight from USA to North Cyprus by Turkish Airlines which is a member of Star Alliance and has code share agreements with major USA airline companies such as Delta, American and US Airways. This flight is directly to Istanbul and from Istanbul to Ercan Airport.

 

Ground Transportation: At Ercan Airport, you have alternative transportation modes such as you can take a shuttle bus (KIBHAS). Shuttle transfers from the airport to the hotels cost €10 -15 per person. Another option might be taking a direct taxi to the hotel, which will cost around €35 in the daytime and around €45 in the night time (after 22:00 hrs).

 

Accomodation

 

In the city of Famagusta, there is a plenty of options for accomodation. Salamis Bay Conti Hotel, Palm Beach Hotel, The Dee European (Sema) Hotel and Dağlı Apart Hotel are the ones in the vicinity of conference venue, EMU campus. Special hotel prices for the ISVS-6 participants will be available in the conferance website soon.

 

About Famagusta & North Cyprus

 

Famagusta is a spectacular and unforgettable port city lying on the east coast of Cyprus. The city Famagusta, a fascinating city with its walled Old City and Modern Famagusta, is a wonderful place to visit in all seasons. It is a unique city for those who would like to explore historical remnants and treasures and enjoy crystal-clear, unspoilt sandy beaches. With its oldest traces of settlements, Famagusta possesses a wide array of fine examples of mediaeval architecture which are well worth visiting.