I was so delighted to meet online with architecture students and Dr. Nilay Evcil in-between Boston and Istanbul.
Ekincioglu, M., 2020, Architectural Design Thinking and Practice
for All*, online presentation (in-between Boston-Istanbul), the
Beykent University-Department of Architecture, (Faculty of Engineering and
Architecture), May 22.
I was very delighted to be invited by Dr. Nilay Evcil, former woman
head of department at the Beykent University-Department of Architecture
(2016-2014) and former woman vice dean at Beykent University-Faculty of
Engineering and Architecture (2007-2006) (1) in order to make an online presentation to her brilliant architecture students at the Beykent University-Department of
Architecture in Istanbul. Working on critical topics at the intersections between architecture, universal design, and
accessibility for all for a long time, she has extensive international and
national published scholarly essays, books and a well-known academic (woman)
speaker (2) on those issues in order to raise scholarly, architectural, social
and cultural awareness, in particular, by underlying the importance of universal
design for historical places attracting tourists.
In order to widen architecture students' understanding of a. essential
principles and b. current potential of universal design in the context of
(pandemic) architecture while we have been witnessing lots of disparities in
architecture and society in terms of using and accessing architectural and
urban spaces (such as hospitals, etc.), my online presentation focused on the
following objectives and topics:
• Vital importance of equity and inclusion in architecture;
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990;
• Universal design for medical care;
• Universal design for social justice;
• Universal design for wellness.
With this framework, I firstly indicated the
vital importance of “equity” and “inclusion” in today’s architecture education
and profession in order to be able to internalize “universal mindset in
architecture (design) thinking and professional practice”. Underlying some
recent data and surveys by ACSA and AIA in order to clarify the recent gap in
gender, race, ethnicity, etc. in the multicultural US architecture, I
emphasized why architecture education and professional practice should be more
inclusive and equal within themselves to develop design principles, methods and
strategies for “all” members in society; in particular by considering “the
acute impacts of pandemics” on every people. Secondly, I elaborated some
essential design criteria for “access to medical care for individuals with
mobility disabilities” along with “ADA” (3) since
it has been one of the most critical issues during COVID-19. Within this
context, I also indicated how some recent technological inventions can be incorporated
into universal design approach in architectural design thinking; such as
“machine learning”, “spatial intelligence” platforms, “data and design tools”
using data analytics to understand how people move through architectural spaces
and environments; such as “SocialDistance.ai” developed by Pathr (4) or
“Sasaki’s Data and Design Tools team” working with some nonprofit healthcare
providers, like Salud Digna in Mexico (5). Such technology-based products,
platforms and tools can contribute to new and more effective methods and
strategies in universal design thinking in order to a. predict movements of people with
disabilities in different architectural functions, and b. create more
equitable, inclusive spaces and built environments for them. Thirdly, I focused
on “social justice” in architectural design thinking and practice because it
has been another critical topic for minorities, underrepresented and low-income
people as the time of COVID-19 has clearly showed all of us. Defining “social
justice” in architectural design (thinking and practice) to support “access to
housing, education, healthcare, transportation, and other resources in society
for all groups that have been excluded from full participation, I presented
“THREAD: Artists' Residency and Cultural Center in Senegal” (6) under the architectural leadership of Toshiko
Mori, the first woman professor to obtain her tenure at the Harvard
University-GSD in 1995, and the first woman chair of this school in between
2002-2008. Finally, I briefly shared “the USO Warrior and Family Center at
Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland”, the recipient of the AIA-DC Presidential
Citation for Universal Design in 2014, and the AIA-DC Presidential Citation for
Design and Well-being in 2015: In order to extend the awareness of health in
universal design, my purpose was to draw attention to various communities and
groups in society, such as wounded soldiers, their families and caregivers.
Having cognitive and physical disabilities, it is a clear that there are
different categories of people with their architectural needs, and in
particular, their concerns for well-being and health issues might become more
important during an infectious disease, etc. In this respect, universal design can
help architectural designers to improve more holistic approach for those people
by creating flexible and simple spaces with perceptible information, low
physical effort, and appropriate size for use, etc. (7).
Finally, I think that this online architectural connection “in-between”
Boston and Istanbul was another great opportunity for us to remember how “we,
all architects regardless of our different time zones, physical locations are
connected, can share and exchange our knowledge” for a better world. It was
also so delightful moments for me to learn Dr. Nilay Evcil’s in-depth and
extensive research studies on accessibility and universal design examples not
only in leading historical places/sites in Turkey but also around the world. I
am really looking forward to listening to her scholarly and architectural
voices much more in order to make progress together in more inclusive and
equitable architecture.
With my thanks to Dr. Nilay Evcil and all her brilliant architecture students who participated in this online connection!
With my thanks to Dr. Nilay Evcil and all her brilliant architecture students who participated in this online connection!
Notes and Rerences:
1.See for this information: https://akademik.beykent.edu.tr/nilaye/idari-gorevler,
last accessed on 5.20.2020.
2.See for her books: https://akademik.beykent.edu.tr/nilaye/kitaplar;
for her essays: https://akademik.beykent.edu.tr/nilaye/makaleler;
for her academic presentations: https://akademik.beykent.edu.tr/nilaye/bildiriler;
theses under her advisorship: https://akademik.beykent.edu.tr/nilaye/yonetilen-tezler;
for her awards: https://akademik.beykent.edu.tr/nilaye/oduller,
last accessed on 5.20.2020.
3. For “Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility
Disabilities: https://www.ada.gov/medcare_mobility_ta/medcare_ta.htm,
last accessed on 4.24.2020.
4. For Pathr, https://pathr.ai, last
accessed on 5.18.2020; for “Socialdistance.ai”, an AI solution created by
Pathr, https://socialdistance.ai/;
for its news by MIT, Winn, Z., 2020, “MIT-affiliated companies take on
Covid-19”, http://news.mit.edu/2020/mit-companies-covid-19-0326, http://news.mit.edu/2020/mit-companies-covid-19-0326, 26 March; last
accessed on 5.18.2020; for its video: “Outbreak”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLUbb-FdWRW7vrPcJ3IHA-2bc8V-Nvv0zE&time_continue=2&v=uE9T9MQWPwg&feature=emb_logo, last
accessed on 5.18.2020; “Pandemic vs. Increased Social Distance”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpESTjd8Nu4&list=PLUbb-FdWRW7vrPcJ3IHA-2bc8V-Nvv0zE&index=2; last
accessed on 5.18.2020.
5. See for this
project, https://www.sasaki.com/voices/expanding-healthcare-access-through-data-driven-growth/,
last accessed on 4.24.2020.
6. See for this project, http://www.tmarch.com/2663,
last accessed on 5.20.2020.
7. See for this project, https://www.wbdg.org/design-objectives/accessible/universal-design-health,
last accessed on 5.20.2020.
Power point presentation of this online talk is available in Dr. Ekincioglu's personal archive.