Rubric-Based Evaluation of Concept–Context Relationship in Interior Architecture Design Studio

Food culture differs between regions according to the lifestyle of the society. It is important that these spaces, transformed into areas of consumption, production, and socialization, are suitable for geographical conditions. To emphasize the importance of context and improve the quality of architectural design products in project studios, physical, economic, and social context components should be taken into account. To examine this, the subject of Biruni University’s Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, 2022-2023 fall semester Interior Architecture Project III course was determined as “eating and drinking spaces,” and its purpose was for students to design by considering the context. In the project areas located in different locations in Turkey, students were left free to choose scenarios and spaces, creating eating and drinking spaces by choosing different kitchen types according to the given fixed dimensions. In order to evaluate the concept-context relationship in project studios, a concept-based model proposal that includes qualitative and quantitative data based on physical, sociocultural, and economic criteria was presented and this relationship was analyzed. The projects of the fifteen students who completed the final submission fully were evaluated using a graded scoring rubric based on “space organization and functioning.” Among these, six projects that scored above the average were evaluated in terms of the “concept–context relationship.” From this, four projects above the average were analyzed in detail in terms of context. The analyses showed that regional needs and contextual components were taken into account in projects and that these components were effective in the concept development phase.