Establishment and Development of the Department of Architecture at Karadeniz Technical University

In 1955, a legislative proposal was prepared by Mustafa Reşit Tarakçıoğlu, one of the Trabzon deputies, and his colleagues to establish a new higher education institution named "Karadeniz Technical University" in Trabzon, which would serve as a research center and laboratory for the broad region it would serve, in addition to scientific production. This proposal was accepted as the establishment law of Karadeniz Technical University with law number 6594 during the meeting of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on May 20, 1955.

Karadeniz Technical University was granted the positions of Rectorate and Faculty with the law number 336 dated September 19, 1963; thus, the Faculties of Basic Sciences, Civil-Architecture, Mechanical-Electrical, and Forestry were established.

Approximately 8.5 years after its establishment, on December 2 1963, Karadeniz Technical University started education in an elementary school building in the Maşatlık area of Trabzon, then moved to a middle school built next to this school, and finally moved to the current university campus located within the boundaries of Bostancı Village in 1967.

The first students of the Faculty of Civil and Architecture studied for two years under a joint program carried out by the Faculty of Basic Sciences with the support of the Faculty of Science of Istanbul University; with the formation of technical staff in 1965, they chose one of the Departments of Civil Engineering and Architecture and, after a 5-year education process, they formed the first graduates of Karadeniz Technical University in the 1967–1968 academic year, with the degree of Master Engineer and Master Engineer&Architect.

Since its establishment, the Department of Architecture has invited faculty members from other institutions to contribute to education. These members have given lectures, conferences, and doctoral courses in various scientific fields such as Architectural Design Theories, Building Sciences, Structural Systems, Urban Sciences, and Historical Environment Evaluation. The Department of Architecture, which trained its own teaching staff in a short time, feels indebted to express its gratitude to these individuals who contributed to its development and to all the faculty members and staff who have served and left the department to date.

During the period from 1963 to 1973, when it was governed by Law No. 4936, Karadeniz Technical University had a duration of study of 5 years, which was reduced to 4 years with the Universities Law No. 1750 enacted in 1973. The Department of Architecture, however, started its 4-year education in the academic year 1977-1978.

On March 28, 2008, during the Senate meeting numbered 218 of Karadeniz Technical University's Rectorate, the proposal for establishing a Compulsory English Preparatory Class in the Department of Architecture for the 2008-2009 Academic Year was discussed. This proposal was reviewed at the Higher Education General Assembly meeting on May 22, 2008, and found to be compliant with Article 7/d-2 and 7/h of Law No. 2547 amended by Law No. 2880, and Article 7 of the Regulation on Principles to be Observed in Foreign Language Education and Teaching in Higher Education Institutions. Accordingly, Foreign Language Education-Teaching has commenced.

Since graduating its first graduates in 1968, the Department of Architecture at Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) has contributed over 2000 architects to serve our country. These graduates have achieved success at national and international levels, holding various positions of responsibility.

In 1963, three faculties were established under the names of Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Mechanical-Electrical Engineering, and Faculty of Earth Sciences. These faculties were merged into the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture according to the Higher Education Law No. 2547 dated November 4, 1981, and the Decree Law No. 41 dated July 20, 1982. By the decision of the Council of Ministers dated July 4, 2005, numbered 9127, the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture was dissolved and restructured as the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture. Since then, the Department of Architecture has been part of the Faculty of Architecture.

The Department of Architecture offers a four-year education aimed at producing and organizing knowledge in the field of human, building, and environmental relations, and using this knowledge in design, organization, implementation, and consultancy activities. Graduates who complete their education according to the regulations are awarded the title of "ARCHITECT."

Our department, which comprises the divisions of Building Information, Construction Information, City Planning, Restoration, and History of Architecture, has a diverse and experienced academic staff, including professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, and research assistants.

Our department has been offering undergraduate and doctoral programs since 1963, and master's programs since 1982.

Located within the KTÜ Kanuni Campus and benefiting from the many physical and social facilities that campus life offers, our department features technologically equipped classrooms and studios, as well as a multipurpose Architecture Laboratory and a Computer Laboratory.

The faculty members of our department have conducted numerous significant scientific studies, research projects, and practical applications, published nationally and internationally, and have received awards from various organizations and architectural competitions.

In the past, the "ARCHITECTURE BULLETIN," which compiled scientific and academic articles related to architectural education and the fields within architecture, was published. Collaborative works on Architecture and Economy, Design and Human Sciences were compiled and published as books. Following these annual collaborative works, the Architecture and Technology (National Level) Symposium was held after Architecture and Economy and Design and Human Sciences Symposiums.

Today, the International Livenarch Congress (Livable Environments & Architecture International Congress), first held in 2001, is organized every two years, where our faculty members' scientific and academic articles, published in indexed journals (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, A&HCI), are presented and shared.

References:
* KTÜ Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Guidebook, Trabzon, 1979.
** KTÜ Teaching Guide 1981–1982, Trabzon, 1981.
*** Karadeniz University, 20 Years in Education and Teaching, Trabzon, 1983.
**** Karadeniz University Catalog 1986–87/1987–88, Trabzon, 1987.