Importance of Typological Analysis in Architecture for Cultural Continuity: An Example from Kocaeli (Turkey)

Cities are formed from historical layers. When different periods are examined, it is possible to reach out the information about the relation with the built environment created with the society's owned culture and the location where the built environment is through these historical layers. Cultural and natural values owned by the city, shape the city identity. To have a city identity, it is necessary to provide the continuity of these values and to protect moral and material values which transfer messages of city's past to its future. City identities in the World and in Turkey have been gradually disappearing because of the immigrations which are the results of globalization and industrialization. This situation creates the feeling of "Alienation" in the people who live in the city. Also in Kocaeli, which lost its' agricultural city feature owned until 1960s and whose industrial city feature has come into prominence for 50 years, same problems can be observed. Traditional houses are formed depending on the society's different cultural values. Some places in the traditional houses have disappeared completely or have become useless time-dependently. That's why it is very important to reveal the local similarities. Thanks to the datum gathered by analysing with the Typology method, the historical traces will be the guiding light of continuing structuring and future. On this purpose, Kapanca Street has been chosen as study area. This street is one of the historical layers of Kocaeli city and which is one of the rare places still protecting the authenticity. There are 10 traditional registered houses belonging to the late Ottoman Period in the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century on this street. The values of Kapanca Street, which constitutes an important place in the historical identity of Kocaeli and has a historical background more than a century are thought to be in need of being recorded to provide the cultural continuity and to be transferred to future. The study has been done as two-stage. Firstly; A wide literature search about traditional house in Turkey, history of Kocaeli, type, typology, and typological analysis method which are related to topic, and area survey have been done. Other studies done with this analysis method have been observed and transmitted briefly. In the second step, Typological features of Kapanca Street have been presented by using the typological analysis method. With this study, differences about the city will have been stated and will have contributed to the city's identity value and cultural continuity will have been provided.