An Interpretation of a University Campus through the Mind Maps of Interior Architecture Students

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between space and its users is significant in studies that aim to interpret spatial experience, reveal the impressions formed in users' minds, and analyze space in relation to design processes. The aim of this study is to examine and interpret Atılım Universityİncek Campus through the experiences of its students, identifying image points comparatively based on user perceptions. The research was conducted as a workshop activity within the ICM101 Basic Design I course. Data were collected and analyzed through the free-recall method, in which participants were asked to draw mental maps of the campus, and these maps were examined in terms of how spatial images were expressed. The study focused on mental maps produced experimentally by first-and fourth-year students from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, in order to compare short-and long-term campus experiences. The findings, interpreted within Kevin Lynch's five fundamental categories, revealed how students perceived and represented the spatial structure of the campus. The results demonstrate how the campus is represented in users' cognitive memory and how these representations reflect students' spatial and social experiences. These findings highlight the importance of understanding campus spaces as environments shaped by user perception, memory, and experience.