Citation: Beyaz, Ç.; Erçin, Ç. Evaluation of Modern Architecture Criteria in the Context of Sustainability and Architectural Approach; Modern Period in North Nicosia. Sustainability 2023, 15, 10005. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su151310005 Academic Editors: Bertug Ozarisoy, Hasim Altan and Young Ki Kim Received: 12 May 2023 Revised: 9 June 2023 Accepted: 21 June 2023 Published: 24 June 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). sustainability Article Evaluation of Modern Architecture Criteria in the Context of Sustainability and Architectural Approach; Modern Period in North Nicosia Ça˘ gla Beyaz 1, * and Çilen Erçin 2 1 Department of Interior Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Near East University, Nicosia 99138, Turkey 2 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Near East University, Nicosia 99138, Turkey; cilen.ercin@neu.edu.tr * Correspondence: cagla.beyaz@neu.edu.tr Abstract: Cyprus was affected by different civilizations throughout history. After the 1974 war on the island, both parts of the island were affected by social, economic, cultural, environmental, and political factors. It is known that, in 1960, the construction of buildings containing the criteria of the modern architectural period in the northern and southern parts of the island of Cyprus continued increasingly. Although the architectural approaches that emerged with the modern period have different trends, the basis of all of them is based on the criteria of modern architecture. The main purpose of this research is to examine the architectural criteria of Efruz Houses (Müdüro˘ glu Houses) built in the modern period in the Nicosia Kumsal region in the context of sustainability parameters and modern architectural approach. In the study, these houses will be examined in terms of social, cultural, environmental, and economic which are parameters of sustainability. In the methodological approach, theoretical, analytical, and practical approaches were followed. In the theoretical approach stage, modern architecture, modern architectural approaches, and sustainability issues are discussed. At the analytical approach stage, the current analysis of the modern period residences in the Kumsal/Nicosia region, which was determined as the subject of the study, was made. In the practical approach phase, data revealing the physical and environmental conditions of the selected buildings were collected. The collected data were evaluated over the modern period residences in the Kumsal region in the context of modern architectural approaches and sustainability parameters. In the findings section, which is the last stage of the study, modern period houses that change function and do not change function are evaluated in the context of modern architectural approaches and sustainability parameters, taking into account the criteria of modern architecture. The research and findings clearly observed that the ideal principles and approaches of the modern period are associated with the sustainability parameters that emerged in the modern period. In the study, the necessity of applying modern period approaches in sustainable designs emerges. In this context, modern architectural criteria should be integrated into today’s sustainable designs and applied in practice. It is targeted to contribute to the existing literature by revealing the importance and values of houses, sustainability parameters, and modern period approaches and criteria. Keywords: modern period; architectural approach; sustainability; modern architecture criteria; Efruz Houses (Müdüro ˘ glu Houses) 1. Introduction Modernism is described as a universal movement that shaped twentieth-century art and had an impact on Western literature, architecture, theater, music, and visual arts in the second part of the nineteenth century [1]. The 20th century has been a century of radical changes in social, economic, architec- tural, and artistic branches. This period, which is called the modern period, is known as a period in which new ideas and expansions were introduced and architectural designs Sustainability 2023, 15, 10005. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310005 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability