04 June 2026
IGU Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design academics and students organized a technical trip to Kuzguncuk!
A technical trip to Kuzguncuk was organized in cooperation with Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design (ICM) and the IGU Environment, Urbanization and Earth Sciences Application and Research Center (CSYBUAM). During the event held on May 11, 2026, with the participation of 30 students, urban conservation and spatial transformation processes within the historical texture were examined on site.
A meaningful event was realized within the scope of the "ICM377-Housing Problem and Policies" course in partnership with Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design (ICM) and the IGU Environment, Urbanization and Earth Sciences Application and Research Center (CSYBUAM). The technical trip, organized under the title "Urban Memory and Spatial Transformation: The Future of Housing in Kuzguncuk" on May 11, 2026, was conducted with the participation of 30 students under the coordination of the Deputy Director of the Center and department faculty member Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uzgören and Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban.
Cosmopolitan structure and gentrification processes were observed on site
During the trip, the cosmopolitan structure of Kuzguncuk—one of the historical Bosphorus villages of Istanbul—stretching from the Byzantine period to the present day, and the gentrification processes it has recently undergone were comprehensively discussed. In this region, which is one of the rare settlements preserving the historical "Bosphorus village" typology of Istanbul, the delicate balance between urban conservation and socio-economic transformation was observed on site by the students. Through these field examinations, it was emphasized that housing is not merely a physical structure but a multidimensional living space shaped by social culture and design discipline.
Türkiye Design Foundation was visited
The transformation of housing, the preservation of urban identity, and user-oriented design strategies, covered within the scope of the ICM377 Housing Problem and Policies course, were analyzed through the unique texture of Kuzguncuk. Within the technical trip program, the Türkiye Design Foundation was also visited, where information was obtained from officials regarding the design-oriented projects and urban improvement works carried out by the foundation. Throughout the event, from the perspective of interior architecture and environmental design; the impact of housing texture on spatial identity, the spatial equivalents of neighborhood culture, and sustainable living scenarios in historical environments were opened to discussion with a professional design vision.
We would like to thank Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uzgören and Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban for organizing this highly productive technical trip, which gave our students the opportunity to observe their theoretical knowledge in the field, and we wish our students continued success in their professional development journeys.
Cosmopolitan structure and gentrification processes were observed on site
During the trip, the cosmopolitan structure of Kuzguncuk—one of the historical Bosphorus villages of Istanbul—stretching from the Byzantine period to the present day, and the gentrification processes it has recently undergone were comprehensively discussed. In this region, which is one of the rare settlements preserving the historical "Bosphorus village" typology of Istanbul, the delicate balance between urban conservation and socio-economic transformation was observed on site by the students. Through these field examinations, it was emphasized that housing is not merely a physical structure but a multidimensional living space shaped by social culture and design discipline.
Türkiye Design Foundation was visited
The transformation of housing, the preservation of urban identity, and user-oriented design strategies, covered within the scope of the ICM377 Housing Problem and Policies course, were analyzed through the unique texture of Kuzguncuk. Within the technical trip program, the Türkiye Design Foundation was also visited, where information was obtained from officials regarding the design-oriented projects and urban improvement works carried out by the foundation. Throughout the event, from the perspective of interior architecture and environmental design; the impact of housing texture on spatial identity, the spatial equivalents of neighborhood culture, and sustainable living scenarios in historical environments were opened to discussion with a professional design vision.
We would like to thank Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uzgören and Res. Asst. Merve Karadaban for organizing this highly productive technical trip, which gave our students the opportunity to observe their theoretical knowledge in the field, and we wish our students continued success in their professional development journeys.