The Parquet Deformation named “Wiry Wonder” was designed by Michael Cuttita in William Huff’s studio at the State University of New York in 1989. The below figure shows the original drawing made by the student. Similar to the previous one, this composition is based on a hexagonal lattice. In this composition there are three significant prototiles, marking the three key moments in the shape-shifting process. There is also one invisible […]

“Strange Start Startling Stop” was designed by Mary Purdy at the State University of New York in 1985. The composition is based on a hexagonal lattice (above figure). There are four prototiles, marking the four key moments in the shape-shifting process. The first prototile is a regular hexagon, which is also the first tile of the composition. This prototile morphs into a shape that is a composition of four smaller […]

This is a student project of the Computation-based Basic Design Lanterns finals of the year 2019. This year was exceptionally successful in creating 3d components and constructing relationships as a systematic whole. Again, the students started with small-scale experiments on folding and attaching cards. This is a study of how planar elements can generate volumetric units. They also studied Archimedean solids to understand geometric performances of particular shapes. We encouraged […]

One of the new assignments of our Computation-based Basic Design studio is called “Self-Organizing Patterns”. Although I’m not very sure about their self-organization potential, there are several good examples of systematic pattern-making. In the third week of their design education, some of the students proved themselves very well in analyzing and re-configuring natural structures in 2D abstract compositions. Selina Şişik Kardelen Kurt Sude Aydın

This is the first assignment named Design in the Forest of the new “Computation-based Basic Design” curriculum at İstanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Architecture. We are excited to see the students merging their conceptions of natural structures with the skills they start gaining in geometry classes. In the next assignments, we expect to generate patterns and structures by the abstraction of these initial sketches. Humay Aliyeva Sude Akay Here is an […]

In the first-year Computation Based Basic Design studio at İstanbul Bilgi University, the aim is to help students understand that design, due to its prevalent relational nature incorporates different forms of reasoning as indispensable constituents within the creative process (Yalınay Çinici, 2013). The studio integrates the 1:1 scale construction via computational thinking which consists of geometric relations, material computation/performance, and CAD/CAM technologies. The aim of the studio is to develop an awareness of immediate or far surroundings […]

The Cut & Fold & Craft exercise is the mid-term project for last year’s Computation-based Basic Design Studio at İstanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Architecture. I really enjoyed the technique called Kirigami. Most of the projects are not flat-foldable but they are all cut from a single sheet of paper. This technique seemed a little bit limiting at the beginning, but the students managed to design very interesting compositions in […]

This year’s Computation-based Basic Design Studio finals were very successful. Below are some of our student’s design works, and lanterns that light the campus area at İstanbul Bilgi University. It was a great experience for them to seek a design system between the domains of material computation and architectural geometry. 28 first-year students of architecture, interior design, and industrial design completed their projects in groups of 4. Students: Aleyna Demirkök, Aleyna Yıldız, […]

This project started as a study on a geometric method called quadror, but resulted in an amazing self-standing structure with the capability to fold flat. Initially, after Ayza made lots of sketches and models, the project team continued the research and finally, they managed to build one prototype only in two days. Here are some photos of this project but there are much more variations and models on their own […]

Another well-organized group of students produced this self-standing structure in only a couple of days. This group joined the same 8mm wooden plates into a set of components of 8-sided polyhedra. Then, they joined these components in a fashion that the macro form emerged from the angles of their geometry. Below are some of the pictures of their production phases: The final prototype Some phases of the production Model of […]

A very hard-working group from this year’s Computation-based Basic Design Studio produced this amazing structure. They joined 8mm cnc-cut wooden plates using puzzle-like cuts and tightened them with strings. A good example of group coordination produced this result in two days. Below are some photos of the prototype and the project phases: Final prototype. Interlocking Structure The joint details and the first experiments. *Students: Aslı Naz Çolakoğlu, Aybike Yılmaz, Bilge Kardelen […]

In this final project for İBU Basic Design Studio in 2015, wooden sticks are arranged to produce ruled surfaces for various uses such as sitting, leaning, etc. Here are some photos of the final prototype and its production phases. Final prototype Digital model First sketches. *Students: Dilara Çerçi, Elham Kaya, Gizem Kama, Gül Zorlu, Gülşah Kılıç, Orhan Ünver, Yiğit Altındağ, Sena Ortaç Here is the students’ blog on this project.

The Hose is our last material system of 2014, designed and produced at the Computation-based Basic Design I studio section. We instructed this section together with Can Sucuoğlu and Birgül Çolakoğlu. This group of students succeeded in developing a flexible but strong connection detail. It allowed them to generate the desired macro form quickly. However, the overall look of the final composition should have been much better. Because, it was placed in […]

This year’s first semester at Basic Design Studio was full of surprises. Together with Can Sucuoğlu and Birgül Çolakoğlu, we coordinated 9 student groups in their 4-week final project called “Arboriforms“.  “Arbori-” is derived from the Latin word “arbor,” meaning “tree,” and “-form” indicates a shape or form. Therefore, we can understand “arboriform” as an adjective describing something that is tree-like in appearance, structure, or form. For example, one might […]

Here are some of the student works from this year’s Computation-based Basic Design Studio, centered around the captivating theme of Metamorphosis. Throughout the course, we tasked the students with pushing the boundaries of their creativity and innovation and encouraged them to construct designs that transcend conventional limitations and embody the essence of shapeshifting systematic wholes. The metamorphosis concept catalyzed their artistic exploration. Then, urged them to delve deep into the […]

This is an interesting material project of this year’s computation-based Basic Design II studio. Students experienced a well-known structural system tensegrity, composed of cables, joint details, and aluminum sticks. Although their overall macro form had serious problems, the exploratory process of this group was very successful. *Students: Deniz Ağaoğlu, Fatma Sezgin, Serkan Ateş, Aysel Abasova, Kardelen Kıroğlu, Sedat Tolga Kalcıoğlu, İlayda Yörük, Nikol Sergici, Kıvılcım Dişli, Uğur Polat

Here is another computation-based Basic Design II final project. It is made of paper tubes, joined angular by nuts and bolts in order to give the desired form. This group had serious problems with project development and exploration, but anyway they managed to finish this inspirational prototype. *Students: Abdullah Selim Buldu, Ecem Aksoy, Lachyn Tuliyeva, Neda Khorshidi, Selenay Geyik, Sevgi Yücel

Here is the winning team of this year’s mid-term jury competition in the first-year Basic Design studio at İstanbul Bilgi University. The challenge they undertook was called “Void by Subtraction.” Initially, the students engaged in a series of short-term exercises exploring solid and void relationships. Alongside the studio sessions, they honed their digital modeling skills through Architectural Geometry courses. Their task was to create a contoured structure within a restricted […]

Here are some before and after photos of our first-year Computation-based Basic Design student works. In the beginning, they were all full of life, nevertheless, after a couple of seasons, things started to change slowly. Although they look old and deformed, they are still standing. Reason: Extending the phase space of material performance, unfolding the impossibility of permanence… Or just snow load. It used to be quite durable until recently. Reason: […]

The final countdown has started until the jury of this semester’s Basic Design studio. Everyone is excited to see the products of this year’s architecture, interior design, and industrial design students, while they are trying to set a higher standard for the exercise.  They’ll use both digital and physical media to unfold their design intentions about a systematic whole. Below is the current situation of our group together with Fulya […]