Introduction: Built environments shape how individuals remember, evaluate, and remain attached to places. In modern university campuses, preserved versus transformed buildings may influence users' autobiographical memories and place attachment.
Purpose: This study examined (a) whether preserved and transformed campus buildings differ in the memories they evoke, (b) how memory features relate to place attachment, and (c) whether participants' perceived importance of preservation corresponds with memory qualities.
Method: A total of 112 participants (aged 18-58, M = 32.02, 67% women) from three Turkish universities completed an online survey. They described memories of frequently used campus buildings, rated their place attachment, and evaluated the importance of preserving these structures. Memories were coded by independent raters for specificity, integration, and themes, with high interrater reliability (κ = .74-.89). Analyses included ANOVAs, chi-square tests, correlations, and non-parametric comparisons.
Results: Compared to transformed buildings, preserved ones were linked with stronger place attachment scores (p = .024, η² = .07). Memories of preserved buildings contained more positive emotions, stronger identity integration, and higher importance ratings (ps < .05). They also more often included meaning-making and insight (χ² = 6.87, p = .032). Thematic analyses showed preserved buildings primarily evoked leisure and friendship themes, whereas transformed buildings were more associated with achievement and authority. The perceived importance of preservation correlated positively with memory vividness, positivity, and identity centrality (rs = .23-.42).
Conclusions: Preserved structures may support stronger place attachment and facilitate meaning-making of past experiences. Moreover, preserved and transformed buildings evoke distinct thematic patterns: preserved buildings are more likely to elicit friendship and leisure memories with positive emotions, whereas transformed buildings tend to evoke achievement- and authority-related memories. These findings emphasize the psychological relevance of modern heritage conservation, suggesting that preservation strategies should integrate users' memory-based connections to place.