The talk titled “Symbiotic Context” was held at İskele on Saturday, February 5 at 14:00, with the participation of Melike Altınışık and Deniz Aslan, founders of Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) and DS Architecture. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, from Altınışık’s unique design approach and innovative architectural dialogue to her practice positioned at the intersection of human–nature–technology, as well as international production processes. The speakers also reflected on the past, present, and future of architecture.
During the event, HES code checks were conducted, mask use was mandatory, and participation was limited.
Melike Altınışık, founder of Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA), has worked as an architect, designer, and academic. Through MAA’s offices in Istanbul and Seoul, she has developed innovative and visionary projects across a wide range of scales, from masterplans, high-rise and cultural buildings to interiors, installations, and product design. She has taken part in national and international competitions, exhibitions, and publications, and has received prestigious awards such as Europe 40 Under 40, FEIDAD, the Swiss Art Design Award, and the BAKSI Architectural Support Award. Her projects include advanced technology-driven works such as the 369-meter-high Istanbul TV and Radio Tower and the Seoul Robot and AI Museum (RAIM).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Aslan, born in Istanbul in 1964, completed his undergraduate studies at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University. He received his master’s degree from Yıldız Technical University in the Landscape Planning Program with a thesis on the historical development of the green fabric of the Bosphorus and public recreational areas. He completed his PhD in 2000 at ITU with a dissertation titled “Architecture as a Hereditary Trace” and was awarded the title of Associate Professor in 2018.
Between 1989 and 2017, he served as a faculty member at ITU Faculty of Architecture. He has participated in numerous national and international projects in architecture and landscape architecture, received multiple awards in competitions, and had his designs published in various journals. He received the Young Architects Award for the Denizli Tennis Club and Ortaköy Jewish Cemetery projects, the National Architecture Award for the ABS Headquarters project, and additional awards for the project “Practices in the Void.” He has also served as a jury member in national and international academic works and competitions, and has continued his practice as a founding partner of DS Architecture.
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