During the week of Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, the "May’Design Samsun’24" event was held for the second time, hosted jointly by Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Faculty of Architecture, Samsun University Faculty of Architecture and Design, and the Samsun Branch of the Chamber of Architects (TMMOB).
Coordinated by Lecturer Şahan Iraz Korkmaz from OMU and Dr. Fatma Sema Sekban from Samsun University, and organized by the OMU Architecture Workshop Community (OMAT) and Studio SAMU Architecture Community, the event aimed to allow architecture students to step out of their usual educational routine and develop their feelings, thoughts, and actions related to architecture and art through direct contact with materials and people. The goal is to provide unique contributions to our country's design field and transform Samsun into a brand value.
Approximately 600 participants participated in the design week, engaging in 28 workshops led by 56 facilitators over two days, exploring design's cognitive, practical, and mental processes through hands-on activities. Participants had the opportunity to gain and apply knowledge in various areas, from charcoal drawing to AI-assisted design. Workshops ranged from ArcGIS StoryMaps to Geodesic Dome Construction with Reciprocal Elements, offering different experiences to students and participants. The week saw the organization of over 80 academics and students, with 14 esteemed architects, urban planners, and designers participating in 6 discussions/panels, three major exhibitions, and two tours.
The "Mimarhane 2022 and 2023 Award-Winning Student Projects" exhibition, held at Samsun University Ballıca Campus, featured the participation of Cahit Erdoğan, Mustafa Tutar, and Zeynep Betül Karadeniz. The discussion titled "What Does an Architect Do and Build?" moderated by Assoc. Prof. Halil İbrahim Düzenli, with architects Emine Öğün and Mehmet Öğün, focused on how architecture contributes to the individual’s understanding of themselves and the world. The panel "Media, Architecture, and New Worlds," moderated by Dr. Emin Selçuk Taşar, included M. Mesut Kaya, owner of Yapı Endüstri Merkezi Publications, and Yasemin Darbaz Karaca, editor-in-chief of arkitekt.com, discussing the technological dimensions of the relationship between media and architecture. The day concluded with a tour of the Samsun University Ballıca Campus construction site with a transformation story.
The second part of the event took place at the TMMOB Chamber of Architects Samsun Branch, starting with the AI-assisted Design Workshop led by Research Assistants Kaan Gökçakan, Batuhan Çelik, and Furkan Orman. In this all-day workshop, participants had the opportunity to experience and generate different approaches and solutions to the same design problem, with or without using current AI technologies. Following this, the event continued with the opening of the "Republic Era Structures Exhibition," which garnered significant student interest. Prof. Dr. Bilge Işık presented and demonstrated "Contemporary Adobe Building Technology Carrying the Power of the Past to the Future." The event then proceeded with a talk by architect Nevzat Sayın on "Mental and Physical Construction." An influential figure in Turkey’s 20th and 21st-century architecture, Nevzat Sayın emphasized that architectural works are products of a mental process as well as physical structures while sharing insights with young architects and architecture students.
The panel, moderated by Burak Şener, President of the TMMOB Chamber of Architects Samsun Branch, and joined by Prof. Dr. Bilge Işık, focused intensely on the future of the profession and innovations in the field of architecture. This event inspired young architects significantly and served as a productive platform for in-depth discussions about the profession's future.
The final part of the event continued with the opening of the "Architecture Department Student Projects Exhibition" at the OMU Fine Arts Campus. During a talk hosted by Research Assistant Kaan Gökçakan at OMU Stage, the “Modern Turkish Architecture Through Lines” project, developed in collaboration with VitrA and Arkitera for the Republic’s 100th anniversary, was introduced by Emine Merdim, Merve Nur Saygı, and Ezgi Erdin. This graphic novel series aims to rediscover Turkey’s architectural heritage by illustrating pivotal moments in the careers of pioneering Turkish figures, offering the audience a unique perspective.
Throughout the day, participants experienced various topics through workshops held in both open and closed areas of the campus. These included reinterpretation of historical artifacts in the "Reconstructing the Past Through Collage" workshop, application of nature-inspired design techniques in the "Biomimicry Workshop," examination of aesthetic and functional façade design in the "Visual Design and Architectural Façade" workshop, evaluation of artistic interventions in public spaces in the "Art Street Workshop," exploration of modeling techniques using plaster in the "Exploring Plaster Casting" workshop, learning colored glass design in the "Stained Glass Workshop," understanding the intricacies of violin making in the "Violin Making Stages" workshop, experiencing advanced visualization techniques in the "Lumion Workshop," and discovering the cognitive processes of spatial experience in the "Discussing Spatial Legibility: Samsun Museum" workshop. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to discuss important topics in workshops such as "The Future of Samsun: BEK Analysis Event," "Seeing, Perceiving, Interpreting," "Model Casting Workshop," and "Reinterpreting Cinematic Space Through Perception."
On the final day of the week, a panel titled "Thinking Through Design" was organized at OMU Stage on the Fine Arts Campus. The panel saw participation from Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Halit Doğan, Samsun University Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmut Aydın, Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Necmi Çamaş, OMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Selim Eren, OMU Secretary General Prof. Dr. İdris Varıcı, OMU Faculty of Architecture Vice Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çetin, SAMU Faculty of Architecture and Design Vice Dean and Rector’s Advisor Assoc. Prof. Halil İbrahim Düzenli, OMU Department of Architecture Chair Assoc. Prof. Fatih Us, SAMU Department of Architecture Chair Dr. Abdullah Asım Divleli, as well as numerous academics, students, and guests.
In the panel moderated by Research Assistant Nilay Nida Can and hosted by Research Assistant Selin Alıcı İnci, urban strategist and planner Ali Faruk Göksu spoke on the importance of engaging with young people in urban planning and discussed the nine different workshops they have established for this purpose. He presented the ARTI method as an example, emphasizing the critical role of social impact design, especially in light of global crises like COVID-19.
In the second presentation, architect Doğu Kaptan, one of the partners at atelier70, discussed the responsibilities and decision-making process in architectural practice in his talk "To Design or Not to Design." He explained detailed design processes for projects such as Sandima Village, Yayla House, Metrohan, and Yerebatan Cistern. Kaptan highlighted the importance of preserving the aura of history and stressed that conservation should include natural history and environmental values.
In the final presentation, urban planner Assoc. Prof. Özdemir Sönmez emphasized the importance of environmentally friendly design approaches in his talk "Planning and Designing with Ecology." He discussed the integration of ecological sensitivity into design processes and the necessity of holistic urban planning for climate control and transportation scenarios.
The final session of the week was held at the Samsun Museum. Alişan Çırakoğlu, co-founder of CAA Studio and known for his innovative approaches to public buildings, shared his presentation on "Construction" as part of the theme "Building Construction." Çırakoğlu provided detailed explanations of the construction phases of projects such as Gallium Block, Greyder Shoe Factory-Administrative Office and Production Facility, Samsun Museum, METU Yüksel Project Amphitheater, and Polatlı Life Center.
Following the presentation, a discussion moderated by Assoc. Prof. Fatih Us and hosted by Research Assistant Selin Alıcı İnci allowed participants to engage in in-depth discussions on architecture. The event concluded with a guided tour of the Samsun Museum led by Çırakoğlu, providing insights into the museum's architectural details and design principles. Participants had the opportunity to see and understand an architectural structure from the designer’s perspective.
The week ended with a closing ceremony where all participants and the organizing team received certificates, marking a successful event that provided valuable knowledge and experience in the field of architecture.
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