The Role of User Intervention on the Sustainability of Traditional Houses An Analysis from a Case Study: Ayvalık House

The environment in which traditional buildings are located, the socio-cultural texture to which they belong, the conservation of their original texture together with years of life experience play a significant role in the transfer of traditional buildings to next generations. The conservation of the traditional building contributes to the sustainability of the historical texture, not only with the conservation of this building but together with the conservation of cultural environment the building belongs.  The settlement, culture, environmental conditions, economic dimensions, conservation problems and appropriate solutions to these problems are the most important factors that play role in transmitting that culture to future generations. However, most of the traditional buildings, which are private properties, have survived thanks to the punctual interventions and conscious use of the users. This study aims to analyze a case study in order to discuss the role of conscious use of the building and on-site user interventions, which is one of the important factors in the sustainability of traditional buildings. In this context, Ayvalık, with its traditional houses and unique texture, is selected as the settlement where the case study is conducted. Depending on the constant change of their users, Ayvalık houses have survived by "partially preserving their original texture", "reconstructing in accordance with their original texture" or "partially or completely demolished. In this context, a second-degree historical building in Ayvalık is examined according to the characteristics of the traditional house in order to compare the old and the new situation of the building. In this direction, it is aimed to discuss the conservation of the original spatial characteristics of the examined building and the role of the individual intervention of its users in the sustainability of the traditional house. As a result, it is determined that the house preserves its original spatial characteristics and that conscious individual interventions depending on the original characteristics contribute to the sustainability of traditional houses.