A Little About My Journey
My journey as an architect, academic, and researcher has spanned over two decades across Turkey and the UK. I hold a BArch, MSc, and PhD in Architecture from Yıldız Technical University, where I focused on housing policy, urban transformation, and participatory design. My early research took me to Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture—an experience that shaped my lifelong interest in post-conflict urban regeneration and community-based planning.
This foundation has deeply influenced the socially engaged and interdisciplinary direction of my later work. It also grounded my belief that meaningful design must engage with lived experiences and local context. Over the years, I’ve taught architecture at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in various universities, served in leadership roles including Head of Department and Programme Director, and coordinated numerous international academic exchange programmes. My teaching philosophy is rooted in dialogue, critical thinking, and encouraging students to explore real-world spatial challenges through interdisciplinary perspectives.
I’ve also mentored young researchers and collaborated on curriculum development to reflect evolving social and environmental challenges. In 2017, I founded SPACE Studies of Planning and Architecture in London—a platform that has grown into an interdisciplinary, socially engaged academic space for knowledge exchange, events, and publishing. As its Director, I continue to shape its vision and expand its outreach. I, currently, teach at FMV Işık University while actively developing SPACE Studies into a more collaborative and impact-driven organisation. Our work now spans conferences, workshops, digital publications, and creative partnerships with communities and professionals.
A Conversation from 2022
In this interview with Greg from February 2022, I spoke about my academic journey, my move between Turkey and the UK, and the early vision behind SPACE Studies.
Since then, SPACE Studies has evolved significantly. It has grown into a social enterprise and an interdisciplinary platform that connects not only academics, but also professionals, creatives, and curious minds from many fields. We now run international conferences, workshops, and projects that aim to make knowledge exchange more open, inclusive, and community-driven.
This conversation captures an earlier phase of the journey—and some ideas have naturally changed along the way—but it remains part of the story.