20 September 2023 Wednesday
We Had An Intervıew Wıth Head Of Interıor Archıtecture Department Asst. Prof. Dr. Adem
We conducted an interview with Asst. Prof. Dr. Adem Özer, Deputy Head of the Interior Architecture Department at Istanbul Gelişim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FAF), regarding his career, plans related to the department, and the interior architecture profession.
We interviewed with Asst. Prof. Dr. Adem Özer, Deputy Head of the Interior Architecture Department at Istanbul Gelişim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FAF), regarding his career, plans related to the department, and the interior architecture profession.
How did you start your career in the field of Interior Architecture, and when did you decide to pursue an academic path?
I began my journey in Interior Architecture in 2005 when I started studying at Beykent University in the Department of Architecture (in English), and I graduated in 2009. Following that, I worked on various projects in different companies in the field of architecture, both in design and construction sites. In 2011, upon the recommendation of Prof. Şengül Öymen Gür, I started my master's degree at Beykent University and graduated in 2013. At the same time, in 2012, I opened my own office and continued both my academic and industry work simultaneously. In 2017, I began my doctoral studies at Fatih Sultan Mehmet University and completed my education in 2022. After that, in 2023, I started working at Istanbul Gelişim University's Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Interior Architecture, to share my academic and industry experience with students.
Could you provide information about your academic and industry work?
In my academic work, I initially conducted analyses of residential spaces in the Ayazağa neighborhood of Sarıyer district, Istanbul, at the scale of housing for my master's thesis. For my doctoral thesis, I performed spatial analyses of public spaces, namely Sultanahmet and Galata Squares, at the urban scale, and examined their effects on user preferences. In the industry, I have been involved in the design and implementation stages of various projects with different functions such as residential spaces, stores, and restaurants.
Could you share your plans for the upcoming academic term within the faculty or department specifically regarding your courses?
For the 2023-2024 academic year, we made two important modifications to the course contents for our students. We conducted various updates to the contents of the Preservation and Restoration and Construction Site Management courses, which are part of the Interior Architecture Department curriculum. In the Preservation and Restoration course, we made additions that would enable students to gain experience in the first stages of project design in their professional lives, such as surveying, measuring dimensions of spaces, and transferring them to digital environments. In the Construction Site Management course, we added content that would teach students how to calculate material and implementation costs for projects conducted within the scope of Interior Architecture Studio. With these changes in the two-course contents, we aimed to prepare students for the industry by allowing them to practice surveying and cost calculations. The content of the Furniture course was updated, and additions were made to involve students in both the design and production phases of furniture. At the end of the semester, students are expected to exhibit the furniture they design and produce.
What advice do you have for young individuals considering a career in the field of Interior Architecture, either in academia or the industry, and what steps do you believe they should take to succeed in this field?
For young individuals considering a career in the field of Interior Architecture in the industry, it is important to first give due diligence to their projects in studio courses and prepare them for their portfolios. They should analyze the space they are in well, identify its deficiencies, and develop new solutions, gaining experience to exhibit in their portfolios. It is also crucial to study the works of leading architects in the literature, gain new perspectives, and be able to analyze the space they are ineffective. For those who aim to be entrepreneurial interior architects, it is essential to actively engage in activities by joining non-governmental organizations and enhancing their social circles. As for young individuals considering an academic career in the field of Interior Architecture, they should follow the developments in architecture and interior architecture, including emerging technologies and new materials, through the literature, and incorporate them into their designs. To achieve this goal, they should study master's and doctoral theses in the field of Interior Architecture, learn from them, and develop their methods and practices. We, as educators, should inform students who have completed their undergraduate education about master's and doctoral programs in Interior Architect
