The Impact of the Built Environment on Students' Social and Cultural Sustainability in Educational Campuses: Istanbul Okan University Case

Abstract

It is common knowledge that well-functioning buildings improve our lives, communities, and culture. This paper
describes the intricate relationship between architecture, spatial design, and the sustainable well-being of
educational institutions. How physical spaces impact social interactions, foster cultural exchange, and contribute
to long-term sustainability is explored. Social sustainability, which aims to define, organize, and develop social
life based on humans and their relationships/interactions in social life, requires a versatile and well-understood
relationship between the built environment and society. By combining qualitative research, user surveys, and
architectural analysis, this paper provides actionable insights for enhancing the social and cultural sustainability
of educational campuses.It is extremely important to evaluate the spatial quality of the built environment in
terms of students' sense of belonging, social ties, sense of community, trust, and physical well-being when using
university campuses for students coming from different cultures, different cities/countries, and different
professions. This study, which will focus on Istanbul Okan University Campus as a case study, will propose an
original evaluation framework that relates the functional quality of the campus’s-built environment to various
spatial qualities at different spatial levels for evaluating social sustainability in campus life.