Çocukluk Evi Deneyimi ve Mekansal Kimliğin İzleri: Bilişsel Haritalar Aracılığıyla Yetişkinlikteki Mekân Arzusunun Analizi

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of the physical and semantic characteristics of the childhood home, as recalled in memory, on an individual's spatial identity within the framework of environmental psychology. Furthermore, it seeks to reveal how this established perception of the childhood home is reflected in the individuals' desired residential spaces during adulthood, shaping their spatial preferences. The Case Study approach, a qualitative research method, was employed for this study. In-depth online interviews were conducted with eight adult participants from diverse social backgrounds. During the data collection process, participants were asked to create cognitive maps to materialize and analyze their perceptions of their childhood homes between the ages of 7 and 11. The analysis revealed that the physical boundaries (such as doors, windows, and ceiling height) and semantic layers (such as security, belonging, and play) of the childhood home form the basis of the embodied self and the concept of home. It was also determined that the positive/negative spatial features experienced in the childhood home either found a place in the participants' idealized adult housing perceptions and desired space designs or were consciously/unconsciously rejected. The study demonstrates that the childhood home experience is not merely a memory repository but also a building block of spatial identity, strongly influencing adult residential preferences. The findings offer significant implications for incorporating user-centered and profound psychological dimensions into the architectural design process.