Place-Based Sustainability in Architecture: Deriving Climate-Responsive Design Principles from Traditional Basalt Buildings in Kars, Türkiye

Introduction: Contemporary sustainable architecture is often evaluated through measurable indicators such as energy efficiency, carbon footprint, and life-cycle assessment. However, the design knowledge embedded in local material traditions and its relationship with place remains insufficiently examined. This study addresses this gap through the traditional basalt architecture of Kars, one of Türkiye’s coldest continental climate regions.

Methods: The study is based on a field survey of 20 selected traditional basalt buildings in the urban center of Kars. The sample was defined through criterion-based purposive sampling, focusing on accessible and relatively well-preserved buildings that retain their traditional basalt construction character, readable façade and massing features, and observable climate-responsive elements. A mixed descriptive method combined typological observation with basic quantitative documentation. Recorded indicators included wall thickness, opening configuration, entrance protection, orientation, roof pitch, spatial compactness, and passive thermal strategies.

Results: Field observations show that basalt wall thicknesses range approximately from 40 cm to 1 m, producing high thermal mass and deep window reveals. Openings are generally limited, frequently arranged as double-window systems, and often positioned toward the inner face of thick walls, creating recessed buffer zones between exterior exposure and interior space. Entrance windbreaks or vestibule-like transition zones placed in front of doors further reduce direct cold-air infiltration. The buildings also display compact volumes, wind-protected layouts, and relatively steep roof pitches that support snow shedding and climatic protection. Together, these features reveal a coherent architectural response to severe winter conditions.

Conclusions: The study reinterprets local materials through their relationship with climate, place, and cultural practice. By translating traditional basalt construction knowledge into transferable climate-responsive design principles, the Kars case offers guidance for sustainable design in comparable cold-climate regions and contributes to discussions on place-based sustainability.