THE TIMELESS HAVEN (CHRONOTOPE), BACHELOR THESIS
A scalar design research project exploring the intersection of "Belonging'" (Umut) and "Cyclical Time" (Elja). The thesis posits that "home" is not a fixed location but a temporal experience - a sanctuary where past, present, and future converge. The process began by confronting two opposing skill sets: Digital/3D Visualization (Umut) versus traditional model making (Elja). This friction became the design driver, resulting in a three-phase investigation into how spatial rituals can cure the feeling of Unheimlichkeit (Displacement).
Collaboration wtih Elja Gallon, KU Leuven Sint-Lucas Ghent, 2024
Phase 1: The Trace (1:1 Installation) "The Dining Table"
A scenographic investigation into the "illusion of presence". The installation stages a family dinner table not as a functional object, but as a vessel for memory. By freezing the chaotic aftermath of a meal - spilled food, crumpled napkins, empty chairs - it visualizes the concept of "livedness" (yaşanmışlık). As described in the research, the table acts as a witness to all the conversations, games played, foods eaten, laughters shared, and cries wiped away. The viewer is placed in a suspended moment, a blip in time, confronting the nostalgia of a gathering that has just ended, yet echoes permanently in the space.
Phase 2: The Portal (1:1 Installation) "The Ritual"
A spatial experiment testing how specific cultural rituals can cure the feeling of longing. The installation constructs a time portal centered around the act of drinking Turkish coffee, a personal habit representing a lost sense of home. By spatializing this ritual, the project investigates how a repeated action can anchor an individual in a foreign context while highlighting the feeling of displacement within it. Architecturally, the structure functions as a "Sun Gate", utilizing the Japanese concept of "Ma" (negative space) to frame the moment of habit. Integrating tactile elements like Persian rugs and multimedia storytelling, the installation isolates the user from the present reality, transmitting them into a suspended "Safe Space'"of belonging.
Phase 3: The Urban Sanctuary (Masterplan) "The Community Park"
The final intervention translates the intimate rituals of the home into a macro-scale urban typology. The masterplan envisions a public park that functions as a living sundial, where the shadow of a central artefact dictates the flow of movement and gathering throughout the day. Drawing from the typology of the conversation pit, the landscape is sculpted into organic, sunken zones. These sheltered enclaves protect users from the urban noise above, creating pockets of intimacy that encourage eye contact and social grounding. The design harmonizes utopian digital forms with natural materials, creating a sanctuary where the passage of time is felt not as a pressure, but as a rhythm connecting the community to nature.
Selected Campus Exhibition
The project was selected for the final campus exhibition, showcasing the 1:1 installation prototypes alongside the masterplan scale model. The display translated the ephemeral concepts of "Belonging" and "Time" into a tangible spatial experience, inviting critics and peers to physically engage with the research artifacts.
CHAMELEON HUB
A technical renovation project located within Ghent’s Citadelpark, transforming the historic Ensemble VZW building into a multi-functional hub. The project acts as a bridge between the park's natural landscape and the villa's interior. The intervention focuses on rigorous technical integration within a heritage shell. Beyond the aesthetic reorganization of the co-working and retail zones, the design details a comprehensive strategy for building physics, integrating HVAC systems, acoustic treatments for open-plan study areas, and thermal insulation retrofits. The result is a "breathing" building that meets modern comfort standards while respecting its historic brick envelope.
Ensemble VZW / Ghent @ KU Leuven Sint-Lucas Ghent, 2022
GALATAPORT ISTANBUL - METAVIZION
A speculative interior design proposal addressing the unutilized shell-and-core office units within the newly developed Galataport complex. The project envisions a physical headquarters for "Metavizion," serving as a case study in transforming raw industrial volumes into high-performance creative workspaces. The design strategy contrasts the building's exposed structural elements with hyper-polished, futuristic interventions. By integrating flexible workstations, collaborative lounges, and immersive brand signage, the proposal demonstrates how static real estate can be activated to host dynamic, working environments.
Karaköy / Istanbul @ Istanbul Technical University, 2022
PERISPRI
A contextual interior renovation located in the historic Balat district, designed to bridge traditional craftsmanship with modern retail. The project reimagines the typology of the spice bazaar not just as a point of sale, but as a fully transparent productive cycle. The spatial organization follows the journey of the spice itself: From the on-site spice garden to the mezzanine-level workshop for harvesting and grinding, and finally to the ground-floor retail display. By exposing the industrial processes of extraction and packaging, the design transforms the act of shopping into a sensory educational experience. Architecturally, the intervention respects the narrow verticality of the historic shell. Custom steel detailing, such as the full-height rolling ladder system, allows for maximum vertical storage, while the warm material palette (Pantone Orange Peel & natural wood) pays homage to the vibrant energy of the surrounding streetscape.
Balat / Istanbul @ Istanbul Technical University, 2021
ARCHITECTURAL ARCHIVE
A curated collection of foundational architectural projects, selected academic works & design studios including urban planning, co-housing typologies, and speculative future living. These works represent the technical and conceptual development of Umut's spatial practice prior to his specialization in scenography.
Mecidiyeköy, Üsküdar, Haliç / Istanbul & Adapazari / Sakarya @ Istanbul Technical University, 2019-2022
