24/01/24

Türkiye Design Council Has Hosted TU Delft and UCL, Bartlett School of Architecture

Collectively they are working towards a vision for the next era of Hatay that ensures it is resilient, sustainable and liveable for generations to come, while preserving its 2,300-year-old cultural heritage and identity. The masterplan is due to be revealed later this year.

TU DELFT x Türkiye Design Council

Following the devastating earthquake on 6 February 2023, the Türkiye Design Council has been leading a consortium of some of the world’s best architects and designers from Türkiye and abroad in the long-term process of revitalising the historic province of Hatay, situated in southeast Türkiye.

The group of academics and students, from Delft Technical University (TU Delft) in the Netherlands and Türkiye’s Yıldız Technical University (YTU), undertook field research that informed a collaborative workshop in Istanbul. Within the framework of Extreme Studio courses, graduate students focused on the designs for a new primary school in Hatay, with the design approach focussing on the local environment and community needs identified in the field visits.

The workshop was led by TU Delft faculty members Joost Woertman and Marta Meijer and Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Architecture faculty member Assoc. Dr. Serhat Başdoğan, with contributions from Cem Yılmaz (KEYM, Urban Planner), and Bünyamin Derman (DB Architects, Architect), who are both part of the revitalisation consortium.

55 master’s students and 2 academicians from TU Delft, 10 undergraduate students and 3 academics from YTU, and volunteers from the TDC attended the event held at İstanbul.

Bartlett School of Architecture students discussed the use of pneumatic systems in earthquakes

Bartlett School of Architecture opened an immersive and innovative workshop focused on “Design Resilience for Dynamic Environments & Pneumatic Structures” at İskele (Türkiye Design Council). The use of pneumatic systems in disaster situations was discussed in the workshop held under the leadership of four academics from Bartlett, Simon Beames, Harry Betts, Michael Woodrow and Büşra Berber, with the participation of 15 UCL students and 15 Turkish students.

UCL students exhibited the study models in İskele, and the UCL lecturers gave a presentation which focused on delving into how architectural innovation intersects with seismic resilience in a city prone to earthquakes, using Istanbul as a case study. The workshop uncovered how sensory design principles offer solutions for safer, adaptable structures during and after earthquakes.

Last updated: 30/01/24