About Program

“Research and Design in Port Cities”

Includes a 10 day trip to Trieste, Istanbul, Hamburg

Program Definition: The Architecture and Urban Studies Graduate Program without Thesis aims to prepare highly qualified graduates who will lead and be actively involved in professional activities in the field of architecture both at the national and international level. During a three-semester program, students will be introduced to different design approaches, carry research and gain design knowledge, ranging from the environmental and urban scale to the details and materials of architectural products.

Program Outcomes: Gaining competence in architectural design constitutes the core of this program, and the workshops and study tours incorporated within the design studios will focus on the challenging issues concerning the architectural profession and the environment. The program aims to develop ecological and ethical awareness in students that will be manifest through their research and design.

Keywords: The built environment, ecology, growth, sustainability, resilience, urban history and memory, port cities, housing, culture buildings, curatorial practices, exhibition design, architectural publications

Program Coordinator: Murat Tabanlıoğlu
Academic Coordinator Lecturer Ali Dur

Total Workload: 90 ECTS (3 semesters)

Program Capacity: 25-30 students

Program Overview:

1st semester (FALL) // Research + Travel

Studio: “Port City Dialogues”

ARCH 560: Master Design Studio I: Research in Architecture and Urban Design (7.5 ECTS):

1. A) Design Studio: In the first design studio of the Program, students will comparatively study the architectural and urban history of three post cities: Istanbul, Trieste and Hamburg. The focus will be on the social, cultural and spatial facets of urban development that have shaped these cities since the 19th century, and the transformation of their natural and built environments. Studio framework includes;

• Study of current architectural forms & territorial organization of selected parts of the city (tbc)
• Contextualising research through reports and existing data sets
• Critical positioning of ongoing and future policies by formulating an argument
• Design architectural strategies that adapt, transform, relocate or create economies of life.

1. B) Field Study and Research: The second module will consist of a ten-day intensive field study and excursion program, which will complement the Master Design Studio I. The diverse approaches to master planning followed in each city will be closely examined.

*Students need to complete a 30ECTS workload this semester taking two compulsory courses (red) and two electives (green).

2nd semester (SPRING)  // Design Studio

Studio: “Transforming Memory”

ARCH 561: Master Design Studio II: Practice in Architectural and Urban Design (15 ECTS): The second design studio will consist of two inter-related modules described below:

560. A) Design Studio: The first module of the studio will be the design phase of the Program and build upon the findings and outcomes of ARCH560. Students will utilize emergent building technologies and digital tools to transform the memory of the three cities under examination into architectural projects. The topics of interest will be sustainable and resilient environmental design, post-pandemic housing, retail design, and art and cultural buildings. Studio framework includes;

• Designing a territorial unit, a new building block centered around previous semester’s study
• Experiment with the full potential of projects in terms of sustainability and emergent technologies
• Resolve design aspects at the smallest scale possible.

1. B) State-of-the-Art Seminars|Interdisciplinary Approaches: The second module will consist of a series of seminars from professionals who are experts in their fields to support the master design studio.

*Students need to complete a 30ECTS workload this semester taking one compulsory course (red) and two elective from the pool (green). 

3rd semester (FALL) // Production+Exhibit

Studio: “Exhibiting Narratives”

SGS 580 Project: The third design studio will consist of two inter-related modules described below:

1. A) Design Production and Exhibition: The first module of the third design studio begins with study tours to selected city museums and exhibitions. Students will work on the communication and curatorial aspects of the research and design completed in the first two modules, and produce a publication in line with the exhibition. The guest lectures on exhibition design, curatorial practices, visual communication design, the intersection of art and design, and architectural publications will enhance the content of the studio. Studio framework includes;

• Visits made to selected exhibitions and museums
• Research on exhibition design both in theoretical and practical frameworks
• Identify the key moments of previous modules’ studies & fine tune them in respect with an overall argument
• Create a publication and design the exhibiton collectively.

1. B) State-of-the-Art Seminars |Interdisciplinary Approaches: The second module will consist of a series of seminars from professionals who are experts in their fields to support the master design studio.

*Students need to complete a 30ECTS workload this semester taking one compulsory course and two electives from the pool.

4th semester (SPRING) // Prep + Promotion

In the semester following the completion of the program, there will be events, lectures, and exhibitions to present the outcomes of the research and production of students’ projects.

3 SEMESTER PROGRAM