Abstract

The scale and contents of different open-green spaces
located in or near daily life in urban spaces are of great importance not only
for the visual/aesthetic point of view, but also for the ecological,
economical, and spiritual aspects. Because of this reason, the concept of green
space has changed and reached to a different extent nowadays. The green spaces,
where people have longed for, have moved into the space where they live,
creating a different concept named as Secret Garden. The concept of Secret
Garden is a new understanding, which is spreading rapidly in the urban spaces
due to the roles it undertake. These undertaken roles can be summarized as
follow; giving identification to the place, the preference of the place, the
provision of recreational demands in a short time and the aesthetic and ecological
benefits. The pressure of concrete structures on human psychology is reduced by
the reflection of nature in a small cross section, and with the help of these
reflections the area is separated by a different atmosphere. Five different
structural units differing in usage (hospitals, shopping malls, facilities,
restaurants, and hotels) and suitable for the concept of secret garden in
Ankara were examined in this study. Field usage, construction and green
building elements, and environment-building relations of these secret gardens
have been determined. Satisfaction/pleasure status of the gardens was examined
by interviewing the people using the space. Results obtained in this study have
shown that secret gardens provide visual, aesthetic, economic and ecological
benefits to the space where they are located. It has been emphasized that
increase in the usage of these gardens in different places will not only be a
way out for city people who are squeezed from urban life but also give a
visual/aesthetic and functional contribution to the city and place.