Design Fest of the Faculty of Architecture

The Design Fest with the theme of “Circulating Boundaries” was organized by Yaşar University, Faculty of Architecture. Within the scope of the festival, which was organized online and face-to-face, workshops and competition events were held as well as panels on various topics with distinguished guests from the fields of architecture and interior architecture. Academics participating in the festival from different universities abroad and professionals from Turkey who have signed international projects answered students’ questions by making presentations about architecture and design.

The opening speech of the festival was made by Yaşar University Faculty of Architecture Dean Prof.(PhD) Meltem Gürel. Then under the moderation of Faculty Member Mauricio Morales Beltran (Assist.Prof.(PhD), Department of Architecture), architect Elma Durmisevic from the University of Twente held a seminar titled “Reversible Building Design for High Circularity Index of Buildings and Materials”. In the seminar, Durmisevic introduced the concept of reversible structures through next-generation structures designed for circularity and zero construction waste. She gave information on various initiatives to implement circular projects, such as the European Laboratory for Green Transformable Buildings, the BAMB project, and the Digital DeConstruction initiative, which focuses on BIM technology.

Under the moderation of Faculty Member Burkay Pasin (Assist.Prof.(PhD), Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design), Lect.(PhD) Hossein Sadri (Coventry University, School of Architecture) made a presentation titled “De-urbanization, Why and How”. Sadri considered de-urbanization as an alternative and radical solution, in which we can benefit from the teachings of different social and ecological disciplines and local knowledge in the challenging conditions of today’s world. In this context, he made openings about why and how it can be applied in today’s urban life.

At the seminar moderated by Matthieu Pedergnana (Lect., Department of Architecture), architect Søren Nielsen, a partner of Danish architectural office Vandkunsten Architects, made a presentation titled “Re-Beauty-Architectural Potential of Reversible Construction”. Representing the office specializing in the design of sustainable, affordable housing programs, Nielsen shared the latest projects he has been working on to produce new building materials from demolition waste during his presentation. He stated that, unlike many other firms working on the direct reuse of materials, the idea developed by Vandkunsten Architects is to recycle waste and ensure a longer lifespan, increasing its aesthetic value, while respecting its functional properties in particular. Some exciting examples of materials were also included in the presentation, developed by the office team and the student workshops they organized and then applied in new projects such as converting aluminum shafts or unused tiles into wall cladding elements. While the main focus of the seminar was on the method followed by the office to develop these new materials, he mentioned that this method includes considering Life Cycle Assessments to give new beauty to the materials in order to make the relevant materials acceptable to users and at the same time not to misuse the material in any way.

The guest of the face-to-face seminar, moderated by Yenal Akgün (Assoc.Prof.(PhD), Department of Architecture), was Ladybug Tools’ founder and partner, Mostapha Sadeghipour Roudsari. In his seminar titled “Freedom and Flexibility to Model Real-World Complexity”, Roudsari introduced Ladybug and Pollination, which are widely used environmental design and simulation tools around the world, and mentioned the contribution of this software to the ability of architects, designers, and structural engineers to design together. The interview ended with a question/answer session after the presentation.

Interior architect Hazal Yılmaz and architect Yiğitalp Behram, the founders of Rolab, one of the most important offices of the last period, which stood out with their international works, were the guests of the seminar titled “Additive Manufacturing in Construction”, moderated by İpek Ek (Assist.Prof.(PhD), Department of Architecture). Yılmaz and Behram made a presentation about their technology-oriented visions that go beyond the borders of the country as a young design office. Focusing on the role of technology in architectural practice and how architecture and industry can be connected in their designs, the team focused on their project called Composito, which was included in the 2021 Young Architects Selection and Exhibition organized by The Circle, as well as their project called Sheet-press, where they managed to produce high-quality sheets for an architectural design using plastic waste. they were also transferred. After the presentation, Yılmaz and Behram answered the questions of Yaşar University Architecture and Design Society (Studio YU), which were about the adaptation of high technology supported design applications to architectural scale, the level of innovative design approaches in our country and in the world, and their place in education. Finalizing their seminar, they gave pieces of advice to students who will start their professional life.

 

WORKSHOP FOCUSING ON RECYCLING OF DOMESTIC WASTE WAS HELD

In the workshop ‘One More Step in the Circle; Combining Household Waste into House Walls’ which was undertaken by Assist. Prof. Deniz Uçer Erduran from Bilkent University Architecture Departmant and Lecturer Matthieu Pedergnana from Yaşar Üniversitesi Architecture departmant  held during the festival, it was aimed to teach the students that the objects thrown into the trash do not miraculously disappear and how important it is to recycle these wastes. During this three-day workshop, students designed wall elements with the waste they would find around them and discovered innovative uses of the waste. Working in groups of four, the students were able to re-evaluate the materials and produce models in real scale at the end of the workshop, and presented their projects to the invited jury members at the closing event.

 

INSTAGRAM CONTEST AWARDS WAS ANNOUNCED

On the last day, the award ceremony of the Instagram Competition “Circularity of Things: Re:Cycle – Re:Use – Re:Make” which was a part of the festival was held. The jury members, Prof. Mehmet Koştumoğlu from Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Basic Education, Assist. Prof Bahar Emgin from İzmir Institute of Technology, Department of Industrial Design, and Assist. Prof. İpek from Yaşar University Department of Architecture, was determined Merve Turan as the winner of the competition. Ilgın Çorbacı and Pelin Avcı were awarded the second and third prizes.

 

Y BUILDING PLAZA DESIGN IDEA STUDENT COMPETITION

AWARDS WAS ANNOUNCED

The “Y Building Plaza Design Idea Student Competition” organized by Yaşar University Rectorate among 3rd and 4th grade students of the Faculty of Architecture was concluded within the scope of the Design Festival. During the competition, the students of the Interior Architecture and Environmental Design and Architecture department worked in groups and presented more efficient and sustainable solutions to the square on the Yaşar University campus, which is used extensively by students. Thanks to this competition, students had the chance to look at the built environment from a different perspective and offered practical and aesthetic suggestions to make it better and usable.

A total of 43 projects participated in the competition and as a result of the eliminations, the final jury decided on the first three projects that would receive awards. The final jury members were Yaşar University Rector Prof. Dr. M. Cemali Dinçer, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Prof. Dr. Havva Meltem Gürel and Architect Şükrü Yetkin Türk. Within the scope of the Design Festival, the awards of the first 3 projects of the competition were presented by Prof. Dr. M. Cemali Dinçer to the students.

The project, which won the third prize according to the results of the competition, was the work called “Living campus, which combines modularity and function in design. The designers of the project were Pelin Avcı, Ezgi Çakmakçı, Mert Efendioğlu, Barış Uzyıldırım, Pelinsu Yıldız.

The project that was selected as the second in the competition was the project named “Up-Green Grade Campus”, which can be integrated with the decorative structure in the plaza where the design is planned to be implemented and offers various seating and resting opportunities to its users. The designers of the project were Göksu Ayyıldız, Aslı Gülbahçe, Bengü İtmeç, and Klaris Roditi.

The project, which won the first prize of the competition, not only came to the fore with its plain and simple design, but also won the appreciation of the jury due to its strong relationship with the context. In addition, the applicability of the project and its compatibility with the existing structures were other features that brought the project to the first place. The designers of the project that came first were Aslıhan Aslan, Ayser Doğa Berberoğlu, Selen Kıran, İlyas Şekerci, Melis Leman Süer.

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Images of the project that won the 3rd prize

Pelin Avcı, Ezgi Çakmakçı, Mert Efendioğlu, Barış Uzyıldırım and Pelinsu Yıldız received the 3rd prize.

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Images of the project that won the 2nd prize

Göksu Ayyıldız, Aslı Gülbahçe, Bengü İtmeç, Klaris Roditi received the 2nd prize.

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Images of the project that won the 1st prize

Aslıhan Aslan, Ayser Doğa Berberoğlu, Selen Kıran, İlyas Şekerci, Melis Leman Süer. While receiving the 1st prize