Restoration / Architecture · Design and Construction
FAQ · 111 questions
Frequently asked questions
Every question we are most often asked by owners of registered buildings, by property owners and by colleagues, gathered in one place. All the questions spread across the service pages, the guides and the earthquake pages, collected under subject headings.
Subjects
Measured Survey
What is a measured survey (rölöve)?
A measured survey (rölöve) is the complete documentation of a building’s present condition through scaled drawings, photographs and reports. It is the first step of any intervention on a registered cultural property: restitution, restoration and reconstruction are all built on the data it produces.
Is a measured survey the same as an architectural project?
No. An architectural project describes what will be built; a measured survey documents what already exists. The survey records the present condition without adding interpretation, while the architectural project describes a future state. In registered buildings you can only move on to the architectural project after the survey.
How long does a measured survey take?
The duration depends on the size of the building, the number of its historical layers and site access conditions. Fieldwork usually takes a few days; the real time is spent processing the point cloud and producing the drawings. For a courtyard house the whole process takes a few weeks.
What if the building is severely damaged and cannot be entered?
In unsafe buildings the measurements are taken from outside with terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry, and a partial measured survey is made of the accessible sections. If the building has collapsed completely, we move to the excavation survey method.
What is drawn first on site?
The freehand sketch. After the building has been examined thoroughly inside and out, sketches are made of the site plan, floor plans, sections and elevations, and the measurements are written onto them. If the sketch is not drawn large and detailed enough, the dimensions will not fit, they become confused, and they cause trouble for the rest of the job. Profiled elements such as doors, windows, fireplaces and corbels are lettered or numbered and given their own separate, larger-scale sketches.
Are photographs part of the survey or an appendix to it?
Part of it. Drawings alone cannot convey a building’s ornamental detail, its colours or its overall effect. Photographs are taken close-up and parallel to the face; the positions and directions of the shots are marked on the plan and given sequence numbers. For ornament such as frescoes, painted decoration, mosaics and painted timber ceilings, colour photography is essential — the chromatic character is itself a record.
Is it right to join measured points with straight lines in irregular stone masonry?
No. In regular ashlar or brickwork it is acceptable, but in irregular rubble masonry joining the measured points with straight lines does not give a result close to reality. The correct method is to mark the points, fix the drawing to a rigid board, stand in front of the building and join the points while looking at the fabric itself. In the rubble-stone walls of Antakya this difference feeds straight through into the project.
Restitution
What is a restitution project?
Restitution is not guesswork about a building’s original state but its evidence-based reconstruction on paper. Archival documents, building traces, period comparison and oral history are brought together to establish how the building stood in a given period.
What is the difference between restitution and reconstruction?
Restitution stays on paper: it draws the original state of the building on documentary evidence. Reconstruction is building: it rebuilds the configuration established by the restitution, together with current structural safety requirements. Reconstruction always follows restitution.
Can a restitution be made if no photographs survive?
It can, but its limits are stated openly. Where photographs are missing, cadastral sheets, building traces, comparable buildings on neighbouring parcels and period typology are used. Sections whose evidence remains weak are marked separately in the reliability legend; no undocumented element is drawn as if it were certain.
Who approves a restitution project?
The Regional Board for the Conservation of Cultural Property. For our projects in Hatay the approving authority is the Hatay Regional Board for the Conservation of Cultural Property. The board assesses the restitution on its level of evidence and may request further research.
Is saying “unknown” in a restitution a failure?
No — the opposite is true. A restitution built on unfounded assumption and analogy is bound to be wrong, and that error then corrupts every restoration and reconstruction decision founded upon it. Marking the unknown as unknown is not a weakness of the restitution but its discipline.
If several periods are drawn, which one is built?
That is a conservation decision, taken together with the Regional Conservation Board. The periods are drawn separately and labelled “restitution of period 1, period 2”, or by date where known — for example “condition around 1900”. Which period is taken as the basis is settled by weighing the strength of the evidence, the building’s role within the conservation area, and the historical and artistic value of the later additions in their own right. Later additions are not erased merely in order to “return to the original”.
Restoration
What is restoration?
Restoration is the balanced intervention that opens a standing historic building to present-day needs while safeguarding its original material and workmanship. Every decision — which trace to keep, which decay to treat, which loss to complete — rests on documentation and the principle of minimum intervention.
Can I restore my registered house and live in it?
Yes. Conservation does not mean the building must stand empty — on the contrary, a building in use is better preserved. Contemporary requirements such as heating, wet areas and services are resolved so that they neither cover the original fabric nor become irreversible. Every arrangement is shown in the restoration project and goes to the board for approval.
How long does a restoration take?
Two separate durations need to be distinguished. The project and board approval process usually takes a few months and depends on the board’s agenda. Construction time varies with the building’s condition; in a severely damaged courtyard house it can reach a year. What extends the schedule most is unexpected findings on site that require a revision.
What happens if repairs are made without approval?
Under Law No. 2863 unauthorised intervention is an offence, bringing administrative fines and an obligation to restore the building to its former state. Worse, a repair carried out with unsuitable materials usually causes an irreversible loss of information. A project and approval process must always be completed before any repair begins.
Can I have my facade cleaned by sandblasting?
On decayed surfaces, sandblasting is not appropriate. Mechanical cleaning — abrasive sand, glass beads or aluminium grit sprayed at low pressure — is suitable only for sound, undecorated, large surfaces, and must be done at low pressure by properly trained operators. On ornamented surfaces, on those of high artistic or historical value, and on damaged ones, chemical cleaning or absorbent clay and paper poultices are preferred. In every case, cleaning requires the approval of the Regional Conservation Board.
Surely washing a facade with plenty of water does no harm?
It is not harmless. Washing works well for water-soluble dirt, but flooding a facade with water is risky: capillary action carries the water inward from the surface of the stone, mobilises the salts within the wall and produces efflorescence on the inner face. Special nozzles that atomise the water are therefore used, allowing large surfaces to be cleaned with very little of it.
Does seismic strengthening change how the building looks?
The aim is that it should not. The rule is to prefer consolidation techniques that can be concealed within the fabric, out of sight, and to avoid as far as possible interventions that spoil or alter the general appearance. Ring beams, ties, grout injection, anchors and foundation strengthening can in most cases be carried out without showing on the facade. Where a visible solution is unavoidable, temporary shoring is preferred and removed once the structure has been consolidated.
Reconstruction
What is reconstruction?
If your historic building has collapsed, the process is not over. With the right documentation it can be brought back into existence both legally and physically. Reconstruction is the rebuilding of the original configuration established by the restitution, together with current structural safety requirements.
My building collapsed completely — is its registration cancelled?
The physical loss of a building does not by itself cancel its registration. The parcel retains its protected status and anything built on it remains subject to board permission. This is in fact a right: with the correct documentation the reconstruction of the building can be requested.
The debris has already been cleared — is it too late?
Not too late, but harder. Even when the debris has been cleared, foundation traces usually remain in the ground and can be uncovered by excavation. Combined with the 1929 cadastral sheets, the photographic archive, any earlier surveys and oral history, restitution is still possible on most parcels.
Isn’t reconstruction “fake history”?
This objection is taken seriously in the conservation literature and explains why reconstruction is an exceptional intervention. The distinction lies here: pastiche produces an image with no documentary basis. Reconstruction rests on evidence, shows the limits of that evidence openly through a reliability legend, and records every deviation in its report. The aim is not to imitate the past but to sustain a documented identity.
Are reconstruction and replica the same thing?
No. A reconstruction rebuilds a lost building on its own site and on the basis of its own documents. A replica erects a copy of a building somewhere else; it carries no historical meaning, though it can be valuable as a way of sustaining a construction technique and keeping a tradition alive. The work we carry out in Antakya is reconstruction: the building is raised again on its own parcel, on its own foundation traces.
What use are the salvaged original stones and timbers?
They are the only tangible link that strengthens a reconstruction’s relationship with the historic building. Carefully separating and storing the surviving pieces of the lost structure — door and window jambs, ceiling ornament, mouldings, ashlar blocks — and using every original piece that can be recovered in the new building moves the copy one step away from being merely a copy. This is why sorting during debris clearance is critical.
Only part of my building is standing, not all of it. Is this still reconstruction?
No, it becomes a mixed operation. The surviving part is a matter for restoration — it is consolidated and, where required, reintegrated. The collapsed part is a matter for reconstruction. Reintegration requires sound evidence of the original design; where half of a bay survives, for instance, the repeating elements and the symmetry allow it to be completed. Which intervention has been chosen for each element is shown separately on the restoration sheet.
Excavation Survey
What is an excavation survey?
When a building has collapsed entirely, a conventional measured survey is impossible. An excavation survey documents the foundation traces, floor levels and material remains revealed during controlled, layered debris removal, using archaeological excavation discipline.
What should I do before the debris is cleared?
Before touching the debris, speak to a specialist and wait for the board permit. Uncontrolled clearance carries away the foundation traces, original stones and floor levels along with it — and these are the evidence on which the restitution would rest. Evidence lost this way cannot be recovered by any later document.
How long does an excavation survey take?
It depends on the size of the parcel and the density of the debris. On a courtyard house parcel the fieldwork can take a few weeks, because progress is set by the pace of documentation rather than that of the machinery. Drawing production is added on top of this.
Can the original stones recovered be reused?
Yes, and from a conservation standpoint this is the preferred course. Sound ashlar blocks, jambs, sills and ornamental elements are separated, labelled and stacked on site, and returned as far as possible to their original positions in the reconstruction. This is one of the most valuable steps in preserving the material continuity of the building.
Why is the debris removed layer by layer?
Because each layer is the record of a different event. Reading the strata of fire, collapse and reoccupation separately — stratigraphy — shows in what order things happened to the building. Wholesale clearance by machine erases that order irreversibly. In controlled removal, the architectural evidence appearing in each layer is measured and photographed before clearance proceeds, and finds such as ceramics, inscriptions and architectural fragments are recorded together with the layer they came from.
Is permission needed to begin an excavation survey?
Yes. Clearing fills that contain archaeological evidence is carried out as a scientific excavation under expert supervision, and permission must be obtained from the Regional Conservation Board before excavation or clearance begins. The condition before clearance is itself documented with photographs and drawings. Debris removed without permission weakens not only the evidence but the legal footing of everything that follows.
My historic building collapsed — what now?
The debris has already been cleared. Is it too late?
Not too late, but harder. Even when the debris has been cleared, foundation traces usually remain in the ground and can be uncovered by excavation. Combined with cadastral sheets, the photographic archive, any earlier surveys and oral history, restitution is still possible on most parcels. The first thing to do is to document the surviving traces before they suffer further damage.
Can I build a new, modern building instead?
On a registered parcel this decision is not yours but the Regional Conservation Board’s, and the board considers the building’s urban context. Within a conservation area, in a fabric read together with registered buildings on neighbouring parcels, the height envelope and facade order are binding. In practice the right course is usually reconstruction; a documented rebuilding also speeds up the permit process.
How long does it take, and when should I start?
The project and board approval stage usually takes a few months; construction varies with the size of the building. As for when to start: the earliest moment possible. As time passes, the traces surviving in the ground deteriorate, witnesses become unreachable and archival work grows harder. If the debris has not yet been cleared, speak to a specialist immediately.
The full topic: My historic building collapsed — what now? →
Survey, restitution, restoration, reconstruction: what is the difference?
Aren’t restitution and reconstruction the same thing?
No — the difference between them is the difference between paper and building. Restitution draws the original state of the building on documentary evidence and stops there; it is a research and decision document. Reconstruction is the realisation of that drawing on site, together with current structural safety requirements. Every reconstruction is preceded by a restitution, but not every restitution ends in a reconstruction.
What is the difference between a survey and an architectural project?
A survey documents what exists; an architectural project describes what will be built. The survey records the present condition without adding interpretation, while the architectural project describes a future state. In registered buildings you move on to the architectural project only after the survey — the order cannot be reversed.
Doesn’t the word “restoration” cover all of them?
In everyday speech it is used that way, but in legislation and board correspondence the four are separate pieces of work, each with its own sheets, report and approval. Submitting a single file labelled “restoration project” to the board means submitting an incomplete file. So when you request a quotation, ask explicitly which stages are included.
The full topic: Survey, restitution, restoration, reconstruction: what is the difference? →
How does the Conservation Board process work?
Do I have to run the process myself?
No. From file preparation to presentation before the board, from following up revisions to supervising the works after approval, we run the process on the owner’s behalf from a single hand. What is expected of you is to share the documents you hold and to give your view at the decision points.
What happens if the board rejects the file?
Outright rejection is rare; the board usually steers the project by requesting revisions. Where there is a genuine rejection, the reasoning is written into the decision, and the project can be reworked along those lines and resubmitted. There is also a route of appeal. What matters is reading the reasoning correctly: most rejections stem from a proposed intervention that conflicts with conservation principles.
After approval, can I do as I wish?
No. Approval is given for the submitted project to be carried out exactly as drawn. Departing from the project on site can invalidate the approval and bring sanctions. If a change becomes necessary during construction — and it often does — it too must be reported to the board and approved. Construction supervision exists precisely for this.
The full topic: How does the Conservation Board process work? →
The Antakya courtyard house: a glossary of elements
Which elements in my house must be preserved?
In a registered building the elements to be preserved are defined one by one in the restoration project and confirmed by board approval. The general principle is that every element carrying original material and workmanship is preserved; replacement is made only where structural capacity or safety requires it. Joinery, door leaves, cement-tile floors and ornamental elements can usually be removed, repaired and reinstated.
How are these elements documented in a collapsed house?
Through an excavation survey. As the debris is removed layer by layer, the stone jambs, sills, cement-tile fragments and ornamental elements that emerge are identified one by one, labelled and safely stacked on site. They serve both as evidence for the restitution and, as far as possible, return to their original positions in the reconstruction.
What is the difference between the Antakya house and the Anatolian hall-plan house?
The organiser of the plan is different. In the widespread Anatolian housing tradition a <b>hall</b> gathers the rooms and the house builds towards the upper floor and its principal room. In the Antakya house the <b>courtyard</b> takes on that role, and the house does not fall into the hall-plan classifications. Life happens on the ground floor, the upper floor stays secondary, and any principal room is below. The difference is not merely academic: forcing an Antakya house into a hall-plan scheme during a restitution leads to a wrong reading of the plan.
Is the courtyard part of the restoration, or is only the building repaired?
The courtyard is a space needing protection as much as the building itself — in the Antakya house it is already the centre of the plan. Even so, the academic literature has openly criticised the fact that for a long time repairs in the area were made only at the scale of facades and streets, leaving courtyards outside the scope. If the courtyard paving, the seki, the well, the pool and the positions of the trees are not included in the project, the house is repaired but its logic is lost. In the projects we deliver, the courtyard is treated as a drawing sheet of its own.
Why do you use the local names for these elements?
Because the equivalents are not exact. “Cupboard” does not stand in for mahmel, nor “niche” for a lamp niche; each is a defined element with a particular size, position and use. Using the local name in board correspondence and on drawing sheets removes any doubt about which element is meant. That is why each entry in this glossary also carries its general equivalent.
The full topic: The Antakya courtyard house: a glossary of elements →
The Antakya urban conservation area: what remains after the earthquake?
Do these figures cover the whole conservation area?
No. The total number of registered buildings in the conservation area is 462; the study examined 250 of them in the field. The picture therefore rests on a broad sample representing more than half the stock, but not all of it. The condition of the remaining buildings requires separate fieldwork.
How do I find out whether my building is on the list?
Registration status is established from the records of the Hatay Regional Board for the Conservation of Cultural Property. There may also be an annotation on your title deed. If the building is registered — even if it has collapsed — everything done on the site is subject to board permission, and this must be clarified before the debris is touched.
What should I do about my building that is still standing?
First have the existing condition documented: a measured survey, damage and decay mapping, and an assessment of the structural system. Strengthening and repair decisions are then taken on that basis and submitted for board approval. Temporary shoring can be carried out in urgent cases, though this too is reported to the board. The worst option is to wait — a damaged building loses a little more with every rainfall and every aftershock.
The full topic: The Antakya urban conservation area: what remains after the earthquake? →
Why do historic buildings decay?
Can I tell the cause from the cracks?
A rough reading is possible. Where a building bears on firm ground at both ends and the ground in between is loose, cracks appear on the elevation starting at the corners of door and window openings and running outwards at roughly 45 degrees. Where firm ground lies only beneath the middle, the cracks widen from the bottom upwards. This is only a preliminary reading, however; firm diagnosis and remedy are the work of geotechnical and structural engineers.
How do I know whether a crack is still moving?
To find out whether a crack is live, a glass tell-tale is fixed across it — if the glass breaks, there is movement. For finer monitoring, the crack width is measured and logged at regular intervals with a crack monitor or a Demec/strain gauge. To see the condition of the wall behind a surface crack, the render may have to be cut back over a limited area; that too requires permission.
Can I cover salt efflorescence with paint?
No. Efflorescence is not surface dirt but the point at which water and salts inside the wall are emerging. Sealing the face with an impermeable paint or render pushes the evaporation deeper into the wall; the salt then crystallises beneath the render and pushes it off from within. The correct sequence is to cut the source of the damp first — rising damp, a leak, a failed gutter — and only then repair the surface with a breathable material.
What is the cheapest form of conservation?
Continuous maintenance. That is the underlying approach in conservation today: in many countries historic buildings are inspected under annual and five-year programmes and the damage found is dealt with while it is still small, so that they are preserved without any need for costly intervention. A few tiles replaced in time, a gutter cleared in time, bear no comparison with the cost of the roof and floor repairs that would otherwise be needed years later.
Why is a building registered? The criteria for conservation
How do I find out which group my building is in?
If the group is unknown, a file containing the cadastral situation at 1/500, a measured survey at 1/50 and interior and exterior photographs is submitted to the Regional Conservation Board covering the building, with a request that its status be determined. The survey must include plans, sections and elevations sufficient to describe the building fully, and must note the materials and the condition of the architectural components. In fixing the group, the board also defines the rules that must be followed.
Does registration restrict my ownership?
Registration does not take ownership away from you; it makes interventions in the building subject to permission. The decision is notified to the land registry and entered in the record, and the opinion of the relevant Regional Conservation Board must be obtained for any intervention, including maintenance and repair. In return the building comes under legal protection and the limits of its inviolability are defined. The extent of the restriction varies by group; in a Group 2 building the flexibility of internal arrangement is usually wider than people expect.
My house is architecturally ordinary. Why is it registered?
Because the assessment measures a building not only on its own but as part of a whole. Among the urban-planning criteria are being important for the appearance of the city, being taken as a landmark of its locality, standing beside an important monument as an indispensable component that gives it scale, and forming part of an architectural ensemble. A courtyard house in Antakya may be modest on its own, yet irreplaceable within the street silhouette and the continuity of the fabric.
The full topic: Why is a building registered? The criteria for conservation →
A glossary of restoration techniques
Which of these techniques will be applied to my building?
That is determined by the extent of the damage, not by preference. The rule is that intervention begins at the lowest rung and rises only so far as necessity can be demonstrated. The decision is taken element by element once the damage and decay mapping and the structural assessment are complete, and it is shown with a legend on the restoration sheet: which crack will be stitched, where grout will be injected, which surface cleaned, which section rebuilt.
My builder says “let’s do it the same as before”. Is that enough?
The intention is right, the method incomplete. Repairing a traditionally built structure with workmanship proper to its period genuinely matters, and a good craftsman is half of that. The other half is that the architect running the repair knows those techniques and materials, has studied buildings of the same period, and is equipped to supervise the craftsman’s work on site. In a registered building, moreover, no “same as before” carried out without an approved project is lawful.
If new additions must be recognisable, won’t the building look patched?
Being recognisable and being obtrusive are not the same thing. Where the contrast of colour and texture is exaggerated, the visual integrity of the architectural element is lost — there are well-known unhappy examples of this. The measure is this: a reintegration succeeds, in conservation and in aesthetic terms alike, when it helps the form to be read, does not obtrude at a general glance, and yet can be told apart with the naked eye at close range.
Where does the idea of restoration come from?
Why is “let us return it to its original state” not always right?
Because most buildings do not have a single “original state”. Over a long life a building takes on additions and alterations in different periods, and some of these carry historical and artistic value of their own. Article 11 of the Venice Charter states this plainly: the valid contributions of all periods to the building must be respected, since unity of style is not the aim of a restoration. Revealing an underlying layer can be justified only in exceptional conditions — where what is destroyed is of little importance and what is brought to light is of great value.
Is the Venice Charter binding in Turkey?
What binds directly is national legislation: Law No. 2863 on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property and the principle decisions of the High Council for Conservation. The Venice Charter, however, is a body of principles adopted by the boards that direct conservation practice in Turkey, and it is regularly cited as authority in board decisions, project reports and academic assessments. In practice it is hard to justify a restoration report without reference to it.
So is doing nothing the best course?
No — Ruskin’s uncompromising position arose as a reaction, and was later softened to make it workable. The approach today is not to do nothing but to conserve with minimum intervention. A building left unmaintained is lost as well, only more slowly and more quietly. The right course is to deal with damage while it is small, and at every intervention to choose the path that does least harm to the original fabric.
The full topic: Where does the idea of restoration come from? →
How is a historic building at risk assessed?
My building is registered; can I get a risky-building report from the municipality?
An identification of a risky building under Law no. 6306 does not open a direct route to demolition for a registered immovable cultural asset. In a registered building a demolition decision — including where a danger of collapse is claimed — can be taken only by the Regional Conservation Board. If the building is in a dangerous state, the correct course is to apply to the board with a documented damage assessment and a proposal for emergency stabilisation.
If a rapid screening has been done, is detailed analysis still needed?
It is. Rapid screening is a tool for setting priorities, not a certificate of safety. It says “this building should go forward to detailed examination” or “this building needs making safe at once”; it does not say “this building is earthquake-resistant”. A strengthening project can only be built on second-stage analysis, with material testing and a numerical model.
Does detailed analysis damage the building?
It is managed through the choice of method. The sequence begins with non-destructive techniques, moving where necessary to minimally destructive and only last to destructive tests. Where samples are taken, they come from the points of lowest documentary value and highest representative value, and the sampling points are marked on the survey drawings. The conservation principle is the same here: the most information for the least intervention.
The full topic: How is a historic building at risk assessed? →
What function should a restored house be given?
Can I turn my registered house into a café or boutique hotel?
In principle yes; a change of function is possible in registered buildings and is submitted for Regional Conservation Board approval together with the restoration project. The board assesses the effect of the proposed function on the structural system, the plan and the original elements. What eases approval is not the function itself but how the project manages those effects: where the wet spaces go, how the services are routed, how reversible the additions are.
What does reversibility mean in practice?
It means that every added element can be removed without permanent harm to the original fabric. In practice: fixings made into the joints rather than into original stone; services run visibly or gathered under the floor instead of being buried in walls; new partitions standing on their own feet rather than leaning on the structure; kitchens and wet spaces placed in later additions rather than in original rooms. The test is simple: if this addition were removed tomorrow, would a wound remain?
I want to go on living in my house — is that possible?
It is possible, and from a conservation point of view often the best option. A house that is lived in continuously is maintained, and problems are noticed while they are small. A residential function places less load on the building than commercial ones. Modern comfort — heating, insulation, bathroom, kitchen — can be resolved in a registered building too; these are not things the board objects to, provided they are installed without destroying original elements and in a reversible way.
The full topic: What function should a restored house be given? →
What is a conservation development plan, and how does it govern your plot?
How do I find out which zone my plot is in?
The plan sheets and plan notes can be examined at the administration that approved the plan (the relevant directorate of the metropolitan or district municipality); they are advertised during the display period. You should ask for the zone your plot falls in, the development conditions in the plan notes and any registration record together — these are three separate documents, and deciding on the basis of only one is misleading.
Can I do as I like on my unregistered plot?
No. On an unregistered plot inside the urban conservation area or an interaction and transition zone, the development conditions are still set by the conservation plan and the project is submitted for the opinion of the Regional Conservation Board. Being unregistered brings freedom to intervene in the building itself; but in terms of massing, height, facade and roof character, the principles of neighbourhood still hold.
If the plan is not yet approved, do I have to wait?
What you have to wait for is construction, not preparation. While the plan process continues, documentation work — measured survey, restitution, damage assessment, ground survey — can and should be carried out. These are needed independently of the plan and leave the file ready for the moment it is approved. Waiting before documenting means the building loses a little more with every rainfall.
The full topic: What is a conservation development plan, and how does it govern your plot? →
Architectural Fees and Construction Cost: What to Know
What determines the fee for an architectural project?
It depends on the building’s gross area, its type, the complexity of the design, the plot’s conditions and the scope of services. A permit-only project is not priced the same as a full service covering concept design, construction detail, 3D visuals, quantities and site supervision — ask exactly what a quote includes.
Does an architect’s fee include 3D visualisation?
Not automatically; it can be a separate line item. The number of images, the stage at which they are produced, and whether animation or a virtual tour is included should be stated clearly in the quote. A render helps you understand the design — it does not replace the construction drawings.
How many revisions am I entitled to?
There is no fixed number that applies to everyone; it is set in the contract. Defining a limited number of revision rounds at specific design stages is sound practice, since unlimited revisions make both the timeline and the budget unpredictable. A major change made after approval also affects the structural, mechanical and electrical projects.
Does the architect also handle the permit process?
It can, but that service needs to be stated explicitly in the contract. Clarify at the quote stage who prepares and submits the permit file, who handles any revisions requested by the authority, and who is responsible for fees and charges.
Does the architect also supervise the site?
Architectural design and site supervision are not the same service. If the architect also provides construction supervision, they may visit the site at set intervals to check that the work matches the project — but this does not replace the legal responsibilities of the contractor, the site manager and the construction supervision company. The number of site visits should be stated in the contract.
Should I hire an architect or an interior architect?
If you are constructing a new building, or working on its overall configuration, facades and plan decisions, the architect is the lead discipline. For interior work focused on function, materials, fitted furniture and lighting, an interior architect is the right addition. On larger projects the best outcome usually comes from the two working in coordination.
Who prepares the structural, electrical and mechanical projects?
These projects are prepared by licensed engineers in their own field; the architect does not replace them. The most comfortable model is for the architect, or a lead project coordinator, to manage all disciplines together, which reduces coordination clashes — a column landing on a window, ductwork colliding with a room — at the design stage rather than on site.
What should I look for when choosing an architect?
Do not look only at the lowest quote; look at comparable past work, how the office produces its projects, and the scope of the quote itself. A good quote states clearly which services are included, the deliverables, the payment schedule, the approach to revisions, and whether site services are part of it.
What does it cost to build a 150–250 m² house or villa?
A reliable total cannot be derived from floor area alone — the foundation system, number of storeys, facade, joinery, installations, kitchen/bathroom standard and site conditions all change the price directly. A realistic budget is built as gross area × the approximate unit cost for the target standard + design/permit costs + site/infrastructure costs + bespoke work + a contingency allowance, confirmed with a quantity take-off after the initial architectural design.
What does a “turnkey” price include?
There is no single standard meaning for “turnkey” in the market. The contract should list, item by item, whether the foundation, shell, roof, facade, joinery, mechanical and electrical installations, floor finishes, kitchen, bathroom, fitted furniture, lighting, landscaping and design/permit fees are included — otherwise two quotes may not describe the same product.
How many square metres can I build on my plot?
The title-deed area alone is not enough; the zoning status, emsal/KAKS, TAKS, the storey/height limit and the setback distances must be assessed together. For example, a 500 m² plot with an emsal of 0.80 gives a theoretical ceiling of 400 m², but that figure does not translate directly into usable floor area. A definite answer requires an architect to review the zoning status.
What are emsal (KAKS) and TAKS, and how are they calculated?
Emsal/KAKS is the ratio of the total ratio-counted floor area to the plot area (a 1,000 m² plot × emsal 1.20 = 1,200 m² of theoretical area). TAKS is the ratio of the building’s footprint to the plot area (a 1,000 m² plot × TAKS 0.30 = 300 m² of theoretical footprint). Both must be read together with the setback distances, the plot’s geometry, and the current regulation defining which areas do and do not count toward the ratio.
What is a setback distance?
It is the distance that determines how close a building may come to the plot boundaries, the road, and where relevant other limits; it directly constrains how much of the plot the building can occupy. The Planned Areas Zoning Regulation sets general figures, but the exact value for your specific plot must be read from the zoning plan and the zoning status document.
Does a basement count toward the floor area ratio?
Not every basement is automatically excluded. What matters is its intended use, its position relative to ground level, and whether it forms an independent unit; the regulation sets out special provisions for parking, shelters and certain technical or shared uses. Assuming “a basement gets me free square metres” is not correct.
Do balconies, terraces and parking count toward the ratio?
There is no single yes-or-no answer. Whether it is open or enclosed, how it is used, its size and its position are what decide this. The amendment of 1 July 2026 has again clarified the conditions under which certain balconies, shared terraces, parking and shared-use areas are excluded from the ratio.
How many storeys can I build?
It cannot be estimated from the plot size alone. The storey count or height limit set in the zoning plan, the emsal ratio, and the road/development conditions must be assessed together. A high emsal does not by itself mean “as many storeys as I like” — the emsal sets the total building right, while the storey/height decision limits how that right can be used vertically.
How many flats can a plot yield?
Simply dividing the ratio-counted area by a flat’s floor area is not a correct method. Stairs, lifts, corridors, plant areas, parking, fire requirements and minimum unit-size conditions must all be factored in; a theoretical building right of 1,000 m² does not mean “exactly ten 100 m² flats”. The realistic figure can only be found through an architectural feasibility study.
What should you check before buying a plot?
Do not judge a plot on location and price per square metre alone. Check the title deed type, the zoning status, emsal, TAKS, setback distances, road frontage, the plot’s geometry, whether it is jointly owned, any annotations or easements, infrastructure, ground conditions and topography. The safest approach is to have an architect carry out a preliminary review before you buy — a plot that looks cheap can turn into an expensive investment because of a low building right or an awkward geometry.
Where does the process of building a house begin?
Not digging the foundation or signing with a contractor, but confirming that the plot is legally and zoning-wise buildable. The process runs: gathering title/zoning information → reviewing the zoning status → drawing up the brief → architectural pre-design → ground survey and engineering projects → construction/permit drawings → permit → construction.
How is a building permit obtained?
Projects are prepared in line with the zoning plan in force, its notes and the relevant regulations, then submitted to the municipality, which checks them and issues the permit once satisfied. Work subject to a permit should not begin before it is issued, and the list of required documents can vary with the building type and the authority.
Can the project be changed during construction?
Yes, but the process differs with the nature of the change. A choice that does not affect the project or the permit is not the same as one that changes a column, the facade, the floor area, the structural system or the installation layout. For the latter, a project revision and the necessary approvals must be completed before the work is carried out; building first and trying to make the project fit afterwards can cause serious permit problems.
What is an occupancy permit and how is it obtained?
What is commonly called “iskân” is the building-use permit certifying that the building has been completed in conformity with its permit and approved projects. The application checks the building’s conformity with the permit and its annexes; depending on the building, additional documents such as a lift certificate or an Energy Performance Certificate may be requested. The exact document list should be taken from the current requirements of the authority where the building is located.
What does renovating a 100 m² home cost?
Price cannot be derived from floor area alone. There can be several multiples of difference between a 100 m² flat that is only repainted and one where the wiring, plumbing, kitchen, bathroom, doors and floors are all replaced. The right approach is to break the budget into items such as demolition, installations, finishes, joinery, fitted furniture and paint, and confirm it with a site visit.
What does a bathroom or kitchen renovation cost?
In a bathroom, stripping-out, water supply, drainage, electrics, waterproofing, tiling, sanitaryware, fittings and lighting must all be assessed together; waterproofing is invisible but the most critical item. In a kitchen, cabinet run length, carcass and door material, the worktop, electrical/plumbing work and appliance placement set the price. In both cases, design, materials, labour and installations should be costed together, not separately.
Which is more economical and sound — reinforced concrete, steel or prefabricated?
There is no single answer that applies to everyone. All three can be safe with correct engineering and workmanship; safety depends not only on the material but on ground conditions, structural design, material quality, connections, construction and inspection together. The right question is not “which is cheapest?” but which system best fits your plot, your budget and how you intend to use the building.
What does a prefabricated house price include, and does it need a permit?
You should always ask whether the quote covers only factory production and installation, or also the foundation, transport, crane hire, infrastructure, kitchen, sanitaryware, design and permit costs. Prefabricated buildings installed for permanent use are not exempt from permit requirements either; the plot’s zoning status should be checked before installation.
Does a Tiny House need a permit, and can it be placed on farmland?
A wheeled, road-registered towable caravan and a Tiny House fixed to the ground do not have the same legal status. A unit used permanently for residential or commercial purposes, fixed to the ground or connected to infrastructure, can be treated as a building under zoning law, which brings the permit requirement into play. On land classified as agricultural, farming regulation, the zoning status and any conservation or special-area designation must also be checked; the safest course is to obtain written information from the relevant authority, using the plot’s cadastral reference, before placing the unit.
The full topic: Architectural Fees and Construction Cost: What to Know →
Earthquake-Resistant Building
Is masonry less safe than reinforced concrete?
No — not when the system is built correctly. In low-rise housing, confined masonry is among the best-tested systems in the world: it is simple, easy to inspect, and its faults are visible to the eye. A reinforced concrete frame allows more flexible architecture, but when built badly its faults stay hidden. What decides the outcome is not the material but the correctness of the work and its supervision.
How many storeys can be built in masonry?
The number of storeys is set under TBDY 2018 according to the seismic zone, soil class, wall thickness and material strength, and is limited to low-rise buildings. That limit is not a preference but a code requirement, established by calculation by the civil engineer preparing the project. In practice, at housing scale, two storeys are usual and in some cases three.
Can I strengthen my existing masonry house?
In most cases yes. Strengthening begins with documenting the existing condition: wall thicknesses, materials and a map of damage and cracks. The method is then chosen through engineering assessment. If the building is registered, the process is additionally subject to Regional Conservation Board approval, and the intervention is designed to preserve the original fabric.
Do historic masonry buildings follow the same rules?
No — the logic differs in registered buildings. There the aim is not to erect a new structure but to make an existing one safe while preserving its original material and technique. Intervention must be minimal, reversible and distinguishable from the original fabric. The principles on this page are for new buildings; for historic ones, see our restoration and reconstruction processes.
The ground and faults of Antakya
Where can I find out about the ground on my parcel?
There are two sources. The first is to ask the relevant municipal department what the geological-geotechnical report says about your area. The second, and the binding one, is to have a borehole soil survey carried out specifically for your parcel. The first is regional, the second is yours, and the foundation type is chosen from the second.
If my ground is weak, can I not build at all?
In most cases you can; the answer lies in the foundation and in ground improvement. Deep foundations, raft foundations or ground improvement techniques make it possible to build safely on weak ground. What cannot be built is different: within a fault avoidance band, buildings are not permitted, because there the problem is not bearing capacity but the ground tearing apart.
What can be done about the ground under my historic building?
The building cannot be moved, so the matter begins with documenting the condition of the existing foundation and the ground beneath it. Underpinning is carried out where necessary. In a registered building this intervention too is framed together with conservation principles and is subject to Regional Conservation Board approval; archaeological findings that may emerge during ground works additionally require museum supervision.
How have historic buildings in Antakya survived so many earthquakes?
Largely they have not — the building stock we see today is one rebuilt each time after successive earthquakes. Those that survived often did so through post-earthquake repair: added buttresses, thickened walls, replaced ties. It is therefore normal to see masonry of more than one period in the wall of an Antakya building. In a survey these different bonds should be mapped separately, and the restitution should argue which belongs to which period.
Stone and retaining walls
Should I build my garden wall dry or with mortar?
Either can be right; height, ground and maintenance decide. A dry wall breathes, accommodates settlement and is easy to repair, but it demands craftsmanship and must thicken as it rises. A lime-mortared wall can be built higher. In both cases the rules are the same: batter, staggered joints, throughstones, stone hearting and a coping on top.
My old stone wall is bulging — what should I do?
A bulge usually means the two faces have begun to separate: either the throughstones are insufficient or the hearting has become mixed with soil and swells with water. Rendering over the face hides the problem rather than solving it. The right course is to document the bulging section, take it down and rebuild it with throughstones. In a registered building this work is subject to board approval.
Can we strengthen the stone walls of my registered house with reinforced concrete?
As a rule no; as an exception, sometimes. In a historic building the aim is not to erect a new structural system but to make the existing one safe while keeping its original technique, and interventions that alter the general appearance or the inner fabric of the monument are avoided as far as possible. Concealable techniques are tried first: grout injection, ties and ring beams, widening of sections, foundation strengthening. If these prove insufficient a further solution is discussed — but the justification is set out in an engineering report, and the decision belongs to the Regional Conservation Board.
Do I need an engineer for my retaining wall?
Above a certain height, yes — and that limit depends not only on height but on the type of soil retained, the water conditions and the load above. If there is a building, a road or a car park above the wall, a calculation is unavoidable. On low garden terraces the traditional rules may suffice, but drainage is required at every scale.
If you cannot find your question here, write to us — we will answer it and, where it helps, add it to this page.