I am the Subject Lead for Architecture and Planning, and Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, UK. I have received BArch and MArch degrees at Middle East Technical University, and PhD degree at Istanbul Technical University in Turkiye. I have worked professionally as a licensed architect in the Netherlands and Turkiye (Is Bank Headquarters Construction, Atelier T Architects, among others) and researched at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, University College Dublin, Ireland and ZK/U Center for Art and Urbanism in Berlin, Germany. I have conducted several urban filmmaking workshops, attended international conferences, published widely, and taught at Philadelphia (Thomas Jefferson) University, USA, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands and Izmir University of Economics, Turkiye, before joining Queen's in 2011.

I have been conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of architecture and cinema in the USA, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ireland and the UK for 30 years. Using film as a representation of urban space and/or architectural space, I study the relationship between the two disciplines to better evaluate and interact with the built environment and urban landscapes. So the question that is worth exploring for me is: How can film create 'a new way of seeing' to understand and develop cities, buildings, spaces and places better? In this context, I run a collaborative reseach group, CACity (Cinema and Architecture in the City, www.cacity.org) open to all. My reseach interests include:

Cinema and Sustainable Cities

Architecture and Film Locations

Cinematic Architecture/Cinematic Cities

Urban Space/Architectural Space/Film Space/Sci-Fi Space

Architectural Media and Representation

Architecture and New Media/Generative AI/Game Design/AR-VR

Virtual Museum Design

Digital Mapping in the Humanities/Digital Heritage

Architecture and Design Education

Interdisciplinary Learning Practices

Design and Spatial Thinking

Walled Cities and Divided Communities

Architecture and Forced Migration

Minorities/Refugees and Future Cities

Archirecture for Climate Migrants

Architecture and migration is relatively a new area of research for me. As a migrant who has lived/worked in eight cities in five countries, I have always been interested in the public and private spaces occupied by newcomers and minorities in a city. My research on Fatih Akin's films that tell the stories of ethnic minorities in urban Germany is a result of this interest. I have been working on the architectural consequences of forced migration in developing countries since 2017, and I use film analysis and filmmaking in my methodology. I also have a Master dissertation group who work on this topic.

I enjoy teaching as much as research and have taught in five countries in the areas of Architectural Design, and History, Theory and Criticism both part-time and full-time after working as a practicing architect for several years. I have taught the following to students of Architecture, Interior Architecture, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, and Visual Communication Design in various universities:

Design Studio (1st year)

Architectural Design Studio (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year)

Architectural History (1st, 2nd and 3rd year)

Architectural Theory (2nd year and masters)

Architecture and Film (3rd and 4th year)

Architectural Media and Communication (2nd and 3rd year and masters)

Thesis Project (masters)

Dissertation (masters)/Thesis (PhD)

I have been teaching at Queen's for almost 15 years. Since 2024, I am honoured to be the Subject Lead of two departments, Architecture and Planning. Queen's is a Russel Group (research) university, and, since 2020, I have also been the Programme Director of MSc Applied Architecture and Design, a yearlong masters course, as well as DfE-funded PgCert Cinematic Architecture, a yearlong certificate programme open to all creative backgrounds. Between 2016 and 2019, I was the Programme Director of the BSc Architecture course. BSc is a professionally accredited Architecture Part 1 programme (by ARB, RIBA and LAM) with 200 local and international students. 

In Architecture at Queen's, I have coordinated and/or tutored these modules:

Architectural Design and Communication Studio (1st, 2nd, 3rd year) (2011- )

CineArch Studio (2nd and 3rd year and masters) (2017- )

History and Theory of Architecture (2nd year) (2011- )

Humanities Dissertation, themes: Cinema, Forced Migration and Metaverse (masters) (2011- )

Thesis Project (masters) (2022- )

PhD Thesis (2011- )

My current and previous academic leadership roles at Queen's include the following:

Subject Lead for Architecture and Planning

MSc Applied Architecture and Design Programme Director

PgCert Cinematic Architecture Programme Director

BSc Architecture Programme Director

Senator George Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice Associate Fellow

Education Committee (Qualities and Standards) Faculty Member

School Management Board Member

CACity Cinema and Architecture in the City Research Group Leader

BSc Architecture, MSc AAD and PgCer CA Admissions Coordinator

Advisor of Studies for Year 1, MSc AAD and PgCer CA

Architecture Year 1 Leader

SNBE Education Committee Member

Student Liaison Officer

Erasmus and IAESTE Coordinator

External Examination Coordinator

Lead Personal Tutor

Prizes and Awards Coordinator

Welcome Week Coordinator

Staff Student Consultative Committee/Student Voice Member

School Postgraduate Research Committee Member

Culture and Society Research Cluster Member

Architecture Research Cluster Member

REF Unit 13 Contributor

I see myself as a promoter of learning. I am a passionate supporter of sustainable living, no waste, vegetarianism, physical/mental health and well-being, regular exercise, value of art and design, collaborative work, equality, diversity and inclusion,  life-long curiousity and learning, optimism and kindness, second chances, and believing in young people. There is creativity in everything and everyone.