Brownfield is described as land or building in a city that was used by industry or for offices in the past and that may now be vacant. Brownfield sites purpose idle buildings instead of developing on untouched land.

The types of brownfields include:

1. Industrial brownfields

2. Railway brownfields

3. Military brownfields,

4. Waterfront brownfields,

5. Infrastructural brownfields

6. Diverse derelict sites

(Rey et al. (2022), Neighborhoods in Transition)

Infrastructural Brownfields in ITU

ITU utilizes brownfield sites in Ayazaga Campus by primarily building new buildings on them whenever necessary and possible.

Ari-7 Teknokent, Simitevi and Bisikletevi buildings in our Ayazaga campus were built on construction waste sites. The construction sites comprise the waste of Isbank towers and Istinye Park mall.

Military Brownfields in ITU

ITU also utilizes several military brownfields in its Maçka, Gümüşsuyu and Taşkışla Campuses.

The building of the Management Faculty is located at the Istanbul Technical University Maçka Campus, and has been built as an administration office of the Maçka Artillery (Silahhane) next to it. During the Republic era, it served, respectively, as a school of shipping, artillery, engineering and gendarmerie. In 1956, the building was given control of the Ministry of Education, which was then allocated to the Istanbul Technical University.

Construction of Gümüşsuyu Campus Buildings started in 1840, in the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, to provide a housing for the single workers of Tüfekhane-i Amire which is located in Dolmabahçe and used as light weapon production center of the empire. During the construction, the building was converted to the military barracks with some interior changes. In the Ottoman Era, Gümüşsuyu Barracks housed “Muzika-i Hümayun” which is an institution teaching Turkish music and educating musicians for the marching band and orchestra of the empire. Built as the barracks, Gümüşsuyu Building has undergone tremendous change while transforming into an educational institution. Today, Gümüşsuyu Campus is built on a land area of 1.25 hectares and accommodates Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Faculty of Textile Technologies and Design.

The foundation stone laying ceremony of Taşkışla Building was held on 24 February 1847. The construction programme consisted of a school that could accommodate 300 students and an educational clinic for 200 patients. However, in 1849 the building was converted into military barracks while construction works were still continuing. Taşkışla was used as a military hospital for French soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-56). The building saw renovation works during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz and resumed its operation as military barracks. During the Balkan Wars Taşkışla was again used as a hospital, and was finally allocated to Istanbul Technical University in 1944.