DESIGN ETHICS AND LEGAL ISSUES
- Course
- ARCH404 - DESIGN ETHICS AND LEGAL ISSUES
- Department
- Architecture - English - Master
- Course Type
- Scientific Preparation
- Status
- Required
- Language
- English
- Credit
- 0
- ECTS
- 0
- T+P+L
- 0 + 0 + 0
- Course Coordinator(s)
- -
- Prerequisite
- -
Course Description
This course intends to clarify the following questions: What is a trademark? How and why is it registered? What is an invention? Patents and utility models. What is a design? How is it protected? Intellectual property, artistic property and copyrights. Design law in practice in TRNC, Turkey and EU. Comprehension of ethical issues in design practice, ability to make firm planning and positioning, competence of managing the business’s finances; preparing design contracts and product pricing, proficiency of dealing with human resources; contracts; agreement with clients; marketing and outreach. Protection of trademarks, designs, and inventions by licence. Design piracy prohibition and related acts. Studies on detail processing, specification writing, surveying and building codes, cost analysis. Working out diagrams, charts and matrices.
DESIGN ETHICS AND LEGAL ISSUES
Evaluation Tools (Active Term)
No evaluation items have been defined.
Course outcomes
No course outcomes have been defined yet.
Course Syllabus
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | 09.2.2026 Introduction to the course procedure, subject of the project and lectures. Definition of professional roles in architecture. |
| Week 2 | 16.2.2026 Values in architecture, mathematical evaluation methods in architecture, Uniqueness of each case |
| Week 3 | 23.2.2026 The nature of ethics- conservation/innovation, morality/identity, Copyright (intellectual/artistic property)/open building, participation/laws, Trademark/brand, Patent, utility model, laws |
| Week 4 | 02.3.2026 Major ethics theories- Virtue ethics, Deontology and Duty ethics, role of the character, Utilitarianism and their application to architecture/interior architecture, Individual versus society, definition of behavior by deontology, Codes of conduct and chambers of professions, |
| Week 5 | 09.3.2026 Agreement ethics, Client, Contractor and Contracts, Designing for who? The client / the user / starchitecture etc... Starting an architectural business, applying for a job, interviews, preparing cv, portfolio |
| Week 6 | 16.3.2026 Universal ethics principles, local/cultural ethics principles, moodiness, globalization/glocalization, inclusiveness- equality, Territorialization, deterritorialization, reterritorialization, Context and ethics- natural, historical, urban context and architecture/interior architecture, poetic continuity, contrast as a form of reflection, the site, Natural/historical protected areas, master plan/zoning regulations, Sustainability, SDG`s, |
| Week 7 | 23.3.2026 – 10.4.2026 Midterm Juries and Exams |
| Week 8 | 13.4.2026 Professional ethics, Licence and responsibility, Drawings and ethics, Differences between values of different professions, Spontaneous ideology of professions, Collaboration between professions/stakeholders, Firm management, dealing with human resources, BIM and firm management, |
| Week 9 | 20.4.2026 Architecture/interior architecture and ontological approach, ontological approach to tectonics, Tectonic theories and ethics, Visible/hidden details, Practicality / complexity, Procedural approach, design and production/control, Industrialization, robotic construction, |
| Week 10 | 27.4.2026 Instrumental approach, Instrumental tectonics, Design of the optimum, optimization of design, symbolic capital, Specification writing, surveying, cost analysis, Disasters, building codes, standards, Disaster tectonics, Building process in different countries, Construction safety, The Grand Isias Hotel- Architecture, interior architecture projects. |
| Week 11 | 04.5.2026 Styles, values and ethics (being inclusive), Familiar / new / alien, Conservatism, futurism, rejection of history, ontological approach to time, Domination of form, Sensational image making, aesthetic seduction, aestheticization of politics, culture industry, Thing / object, Montage (joint- disjoint), |
| Week 12 | 11.5.2026 Overall Evaluation of the Subject |
| Week 13 | 18.5.2026 – 12.6.2026 Final Juries and Exams |
| Week 14 | - |
| Week 15 | - |
Reference Books & Course Materials
- 01 Fisher, T., Ethics for Architects: 50 Dilemmas of Professional Practice, Princeton Architectural Press, 2010
- 02 Piotrowski, C. M., Professional Practice for Interior Designera, John Wiley & Sons, 2002
- 03 Franklin, J. R., Architect's Professional Practice Manual, Mc-Graw Hill Professional, 2000.
- 04 Mathews, G., Hendricks, C., (2019) Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics, https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/797
Learning Outcomes
No learning outcomes have been defined.
Program Outcomes
- P01 Solving the architectural problems by making use of the research methods (skill).
- P02 The ability to carry out a specialistic study related to architecture independently. (Competence to work independently and take responsibility).
- P03 Developing new strategic approaches to solve the unforeseen and complex problems arising in the practical processes of architecture and coming up with solutions while taking responsibility (Competence to work independently and take responsibility).
- P04 Fulfilling the leader role in the environments where solutions are sought for the problems of architecture (Competence to work independently and take responsibility).
- P05 Assessing the specialistic knowledge and skill gained through the study with a critical view and directing one’s own learning process (Learning Competence).
- P06 Systematically transferring the current developments of architecture and one’s own work to other groups in and out of the area; in written, oral and visual forms (Communication and Social Competency).
- P07 Ability to see and develop social relationships and the norms directing these relationships with a critical look and the ability to take action to change these when necessary (Communication and Social Competency).
- P08 Proficiency in inglish- and establishing written and oral communication with english (Communication and Social Competency).
- P09 Using the computer software together with the information and communication technologies efficiently and according to the needs of architecture (Communication and Social Competency).
- P10 Paying regard to social, scientific, cultural and ethical values during the collecting, interpreting, practicing and announcing processes of the architectural data and the ability to teach these values to others (Area Specific Competency).
- P11 Developing strategy, policy and application plans concerning the architectural issues area and the ability to evaluate the end results of these plans within the frame of quality processes (Area Specific Competency).
- P12 Using the knowledge and the skills for problem solving and/or application (which are processed within the architecture) in inter-disciplinary studies (Area Specific Competency).
- P13 In the programs with thesis, the ability to present one’s own work within the international environments orally, visually and in written forms (Area Specific Competency).
Po-Lo Matrix
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