Vernacular Design Examples to Study Climate’s Role on Design Decisions: an Example of Nomadic Yörüks in the Turkish Mediterranean

Abstract

This paper presents vernacular design examples to investigate the relationship between design and climate. The paper aims at understanding ways in which design can collaborate with other elements to produce naturally compatible artefacts, systems or experiences. Considering the current climate crises and growing changes, we need to develop an understanding that does not exploit the natural resources but incorporates with them. To study this co-operation, this paper studies textile crafts, more specifically felted artefacts, of Yörüks (or Yoruks, Yuruks), a nomadic Turkic clan in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. I examine the ways in which climate, mobile lifestyle and accessible materials actively affect design decisions of the Yörüks. Yörüks way of living could be an example to think further how to correspond to climate while developing artefacts.

Keywords

• agency
• mediterranean
• design
• entanglement
• yörüks