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Mapping the earthen construction niche in Türkiye: a multi-level perspective on regime lock-in and strategic mechanisms for wider adoption
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DOI：10.1080/17452007.2026.2689194.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
While earthen construction offers a critical low-carbon alternative, in numerous countries it is a niche practice facing often institutional resistance within established socio-technical regimes. Türkiye illustrates a unique context where a deep vernacular legacy of earthen construction persists through an active niche ecosystem operating in the absence of binding legal and technical codes. By employing the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), this study draws on a national inventory of 68 contemporary projects and 18 expert interviews to reveal how regime-level ‘lock-in’ mechanisms suppress innovation within a landscape defined by severe earthquake trauma and unmet climate imperatives. Findings reveal a rapid acceleration in the sector, with 40% of the inventory constructed after 2020. To navigate the lack of codified standards, practitioners manage risks by adopting defensive hybridization, utilizing earthen materials as nonstructural infill or skin to mitigate professional liability. This study observes an institutional divergence between international prestige and domestic regulatory silence. The paper concludes with potential mechanisms for the wider adoption of EC in Türkiye based on Strategic Niche Management (SNM), proposing ‘experimental zoning’ as a strategic framework to transition the niche toward structural and formal recognition.
Keywords:
Socio-technical systems
seismic building codes
defensive hybridization
sustainability transitions
strategic niche management (SNM)
niche empowerment
raw earth materials
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