As the Research Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Built Environment (ISBE), we held a series of seminars and hands-on workshops titled “Returning to the Ground” at the EMU Faculty of Architecture between 2–4 December 2025. The three-day program was led by designers Ergin K. Birinci, Ryszard Rychlicki, and Karolina Ferenc, whose work embraces sustainability, contextual…
“Transforming Divides: Insights from the Urban Peace-Building Studio” seminar
Today, I gave a seminar to the students of the Department of Interior Architecture at Istanbul Technical University titled “Transforming Divides: Insights from the Urban Peace-Building Studio.” Within the scope of the “Post-Conflict Rural Life” studio, which focuses on reinhabiting the rural landscapes of Karabakh, I discussed the concepts of spatial transformation, social healing, and…
Reflections from the Premiere of “Cyprus: The Divided Island” documentary
*Türkçe metin alttadır Last night, at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the divided heart of Cyprus, we attended the premiere of “Cyprus: The Divided Island”, directed by David Castillo, which brought together voices from both sides of the border. While some were advocates of peace and others stark opponents, the documentary wove these divergent perspectives into…
Mimarlıkta ‘Anlam’ Kaygısı
“Mimarlıkta ‘Anlam’ Kaygısı” başlıklı makalem, Yapı Dergisi’nin 499. sayısında yayımlandı. 2002 yılında doktora tezim için sorduğum “Mimarlığın anlamı nedir?” sorusu, beni yalnızca mimarlık kuramlarına değil -ampirizmden göstergebilime, varoluşçuluktan bilişsel psikolojiye uzanan bir düşünsel yolculuğa çıkardı ve zamanla hayatın da anlamını sorgulamaya yöneltti. Mimarlık, biçimin sınırlarını aşarak, duyguların, değerlerin ve fikirlerin dokusunu taşıyan bir anlam ağı…
Shattered Grounds, Unbroken Place Identity: The Emotional Geography of Hatay Post-Earthquake
Our article titled “Shattered Grounds, Unbroken Place Identity: The Emotional Geography of Hatay Post-Earthquake”has been published in the 56th issue (August 2025) of Emotion, Space and Society. A person builds a place not merely as a geography they inhabit, but as a whole of meanings in which they weave their memory, identity, and emotions. A person remembers…
Shared Geographies, Fragmented Realities: A Conversation on Cyprus with NUUK TV
I took part in a documentary produced by Spanish broadcaster Nuuk TV, which offers an objective selection of voices—ranging from the leaders of the two communities to various experts, activists, and United Nations representatives—regarding the current situation in Cyprus. As an academic who has been exploring the psychogeographic dimensions of “place” theory—such as emotion, meaning,…
“Varosha, la ville Otage” documentary by Sylvie Deleule
For those of us born after 1974, life on this divided island often came with the myth that Cypriots were content with the status quo. But growing up in an involuntarily abandoned Greek Cypriot home in Kato Varosha—and constantly asking my father about our city’s suspended reality—led me to scientifically explore the truths of displacement,…
Designing with AI: Reflections on the Third Seminar
The third and final seminar in this phase of the “AI in Architecture” series, titled “AI in Architecture, Part III: Design”, brought faculty members together for a lively and collaborative discussion. Rather than offering a one-directional presentation, I designed this session as an open forum to collectively explore how AI is transforming architectural design thinking…
Reflections on My Second Seminar: AI in Research and Teaching
On 2 July 2025, I had the pleasure of delivering my second seminar in the “AI in Architecture” series, titled “AI in Architecture: Foundations in Research & Teaching”. The event was organized by the Department of Architecture, and I was especially grateful for the kind invitation and participation of our colleagues from the Department of…
Presenting Adaptive Coexistence Design Framework for the Post-Anthropocene
I participated in the ICDIMSE 2.0 2025 (The Second International Conference on Design Innovations and Management for a Sustainable Environment), which we jointly organized with Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology in India, with my research titled “Rethinking Housing for the Post-Anthropocene.” In this study, I propose a conceptual shift from human-centered paradigms toward multispecies, ecologically…
AI in Architecture: Enhancing Research, Teaching, and Design
Today, upon the invitation of the Chair of the Department of Architecture at EMU, I delivered a seminar titled “Artificial Intelligence in Architecture: Enhancing Research, Teaching, and Design.” I aimed to approach AI not merely as a tool, but as a part of ethical, creative, and pedagogical thinking. I designed this session not as a traditional lecture,…
El Lissitzky’s Proun Room – Living Thresholds: Re-imagining Shared Spaces in Flux
Bir mekân olmak zorunda kalmadan, bir şey olmaya evrilen bir yer olabilir mi? DAÜ Mimarlık Fakültesi 12. Uluslararası Tasarım Haftası’na, Yapılı Çevre Disiplinlerarası Araştırma Merkezi (ISBE) olarak, “El Lissitzky’nin Proun Odası – Yaşayan Eşikler: Değişim Halindeki Ortak Mekânları Yeniden Düşünmek” başlıklı atölye çalışmasıyla katıldık. Öğrencilerimizle birlikte, El Lissitzky’nin avangart “Proun Room” (1923) çalışmasından ilhamla, mekânsal…
Yer Kuramı Bağlamında Kıbrıs Sorunu
Mimar ve toplumsal dayanıklılık aktivisti olarak, bugün İspanyol Nuuk TV’ye Kıbrıs’taki güncel politik durumu uzmanlık alanım olan “yer” boyutu üzerinden değerlendiren bir röportaj verdim. Yerler; bireylerin kendilerini deneyimledikleri, kimliklerini doğruladıkları ve arzularını gerçekleştirdikleri önemli olgulardır. Ne yazık ki yerler sıklıkla ikili karşıtlıklar çerçevesinde kavramsallaştırılarak basit zıtlıklara indirgenmektedir. Kıbrıslı biri olarak, Kuzey/Güney, ‘içerisi’/‘dışarısı,’ ‘benim tarafım’/‘senin tarafın’…
Echoes of Famagusta: Strategies for ecology and coexistence
Today, I had the pleasure of giving a seminar to the graduation project students (Jury A) at Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture. It was inspiring to discuss strategies for ecology and coexistence in my hometown, Famagusta. Wishing all these future architects the best as they develop their proposals for this semester’s challenge: BEYOND THE…
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