Welcome to my page...
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Trained as an architect with a strong emphasis on its design thinking and practice, I am an equity-focused, passionately dedicated, accomplished and "the first-generation" (international) scholar
with Ph.D. in architecture. My responsive and problem-centered scientific research projects aim to explore game changing findings in my expertise fields. Currently, my scholarly (research) focal points and deep concerns are intertwined challenges of climate emergency, public health and social justice in resilient architecture and design-centered disciplines / professional practices with a holistic perspective.
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If we have common motivation, passion and interest in architecture, let’s connect for a better and healthier built environment and living spaces:
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With academic sponsorship by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture Program (24 months), I am "the first" scholar to uncover the beginning of co-education at the Princeton University-School of Architecture in 1968 (under the first dean of the School, Professor Robert Geddes' academic leadership and at the graduate level) and "the first" scholar to uncover professional career and education herstory of pioneering Turkish and Turkish-American women architects in multicultural postwar architecture in the U.S. after my Ph.D. in architecture. Intersectional feminism, immigration and equity in multicultural postwar U.S. architecture have been my recent scholarly research focal points. (1). I have been invited by the MIT-HTC, the MIT-WGS, the MIT-Women League, the MIT-Media in Transition International Conferences (5 & 6), the MIT-WikiConference North America, the Harvard University-GSD, the 53rd Middle East Studies Association-Annual Meeting, the Society of American Archivists-Research Forum, CUNY, Boston University, the Society of Architectural Historians-Annual and International Conferences (2023 and 2018), "Women Who Design", the AIA-Silicon Valley, Emerson College, the Epidemic Urbanism Initiative, etc. as a speaker at their peer-reviewed scientific conferences, panelist and panel chair. Following my productive research process at MIT, I am currently developing my book project.
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I have been serving as Associate Editor of SAHARA, a digital architectural image archive developed by the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH, established at Harvard University in 1940) in collaboration with JSTOR / ITHAKA and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with its over 200,000 images on architecture, interior, landscape and the built environment. I am also an awardee of a fellowship by the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and serving as a Research Committee member of the Historic Interiors Affiliate Group - Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) by receiving an invitation e-mail by its Founding President when it has been established. As its active member, I have served to co-prepare its Article Award proposal which has been officially accepted by "SAH" and began to organize in December 2024. I have also initiated and co-organized our "first" (and online) panel, "Flow: At the Intersection of Archives and Historic Interiors" and co-moderated our “second” (and online) event, a talk by Michelle Jackson-Beckett, Ph.D. on her recent book, "Vienna & the New Wohnkultur, 1918-1938".
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With my deep scholarly concern about the lack of inclusion and diversity in architectural archives and collections at (most of) schools of architecture in the U.S., my most recent (systematic) research project has examined this critical subject. Architectural curators and archivists at MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton universities have been among the participants of my systematic research. Following my published research report on this subject by "the Society of American Archivists-Research Forum", I have moderated and co-organized an online panel on inclusive and diverse historical documentation practice and methods with Mary Norman Woods, Professor Emerita at Cornell University, Department of Architecture (the first woman tenured in Cornell's architecture department, founded in 1871), Maristella Casciato, Senior Curator at the Getty Research Institute and two archivists from Yale and UPenn. in the field (as panelists).
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With my deep scholarly concern about the lack of inclusion and diversity in architectural archives and collections at (most of) schools of architecture in the U.S., my most recent (systematic) research project has examined this critical subject. Architectural curators and archivists at MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton universities have been among the participants of my systematic research. Following my published research report on this subject by "the Society of American Archivists-Research Forum", I have moderated and co-organized an online panel on inclusive and diverse historical documentation practice and methods with Mary Norman Woods, Professor Emerita at Cornell University, Department of Architecture (the first woman tenured in Cornell's architecture department, founded in 1871), Maristella Casciato, Senior Curator at the Getty Research Institute and two archivists from Yale and UPenn. in the field (as panelists).
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I am also a certificate holder from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)-Approved Continuing Education Program related to carbon-smart architectural materials (2) and "Consortium for Graduate Studies, Gender, Culture, Women & Sexuality" (GCWS) hosted by MIT.
I am also a certificate holder from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)-Approved Continuing Education Program related to carbon-smart architectural materials (2) and "Consortium for Graduate Studies, Gender, Culture, Women & Sexuality" (GCWS) hosted by MIT.
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To support equity and inclusion in architecture, I have served as an invited nominator for the Aga Khan Awards for Architecture (two times) and was an invited panelist at "Convergence at the Confluence of Power, Identity, and Design" held by “the Harvard University, Graduate School of Design (GSD)-Women in Architecture Group” in November 2018. Throughout “Convergence”, we invited everyone in architecture and design-oriented disciplines to take their concrete actions for systemic equity in education and profession. Following our strong messages, Professor Sarah Whiting was officially announced as "the first" woman dean in the history of the Harvard University-GSD in April 2019: We have accomplished! This panel was an inspiring experience for me to take equity-focused concrete and collaborative action with positive and historic transformation at the Harvard-GSD, a pioneering school in architecture.
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As an accomplished Ph.D. holder in architecture, my secondary scholarly expertise fields and interests are theory and (postwar) history of the architecture profession and its (design) practice with a focus on design architect practitioner and (large-scale) client relation: I began my Ph.D. dissertation research at the Harvard University, Aga Khan History of Art and Architecture, Ph.D. Program as a special Turkish fellow, and continued this advanced research at the Columbia University, Graduate School of Planning and Preservation, Ph.D. Program as a research scholar. Based on my dissertation research at Harvard and Columbia universities (in particular with scientific research support by Professor Kenneth Frampton), I have completed "the first" Ph.D. dissertation on historical and theoretical analysis of practice conducted by Tekeli-Sisa Architecture (Istanbul, 1954-present) with a specific research problem on design architect-(diverse) large scale client relation in the private sector. I have also obtained my bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture.
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I have over 100 publications in architecture, including published scholarly essays, articles, digital collection, published research report, interviews on my research, editorial monographs, digital publications of my panel talks, symposium and conference presentations, short documentary films and translations. According to Archnet at MIT, the digital and systematic collection created and developed by me as their curator is "the largest" of several additions to their Women in Architecture Collection with my strong emphasis on underrepresented, minority communities and inclusion. (in 2016). (3). As a guest editor of SAHARA (January 2023), a digital image archive developed by the Society of Architectural Historians in collaboration with Artstor and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, my goal has been to emphasize diverse, inclusive and multidisciplinary characteristics of public interior spaces by considering our pandemic (lockdown) experience. With this guest editorship, I am also “the first” member of “the Research Committee of the Historic Interiors Affiliate Group at the Society of Architectural Historians” (HIG-SAH) to bring interior design as a discipline into focus through SAHARA. Created by my extensive, inclusive and global scholarly vision, my 19 editorial monographs on pioneering contemporary and modern architects of the 20th Century are accessible at leading academic libraries in the U.S. architecture, such as at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library of Columbia University, the Frances Loeb Library of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the Rotch Library of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Architecture & Planning. Among them, my published architectural monograph on Bernard Tschumi is accessible in Swiss Collections, a gateway to historical and modern collections in Swiss libraries and archives. (Bibliographic code: bbg08). With my accomplished editorial and scholarly background in architecture, I have also conducted an extensive architectural metadata project at the Columbia University-Avery Library and am a peer reviewer of the PLAN Journal (TPJ) on research, studies and criticism in architecture and urbanism to support diverse and inclusive studies and publications by teaching and research communities in architecture. I am also a dedicated and inclusive content developer of (scholarly) visual knowledge resources and digital image archives on architecture and the built environment: With my published "1261" high quality architectural and interior photographs, I am a content developer of "SAH Archipedia", authoritative online encyclopedia of the U.S. built environment organized by the Society of Architectural Historians and the University of Virginia Press and "SAHARA" by SAH. Publication of my six short articles and "226" high quality architectural and interior photographs by SAH Archipedia are also in-progress.
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Exhibition is a significant part of my scholarly dedication to architecture: My exhibition project, “The Life Cycle of Celile Berk in Postwar Architecture: Her Challenge at the MIT-Architecture and in the U.S.” was shortlisted by the international jury of “the Life Cycles of Women in Architecture Exhibition” organized by “Women Who Design” in 2020. I was also among participants and organization team members of our collaborative exhibition project, “Citizen TALES Commons” as a part of the Exhibition: “Re-Imagining Civic Engagement, Civic Media: Art & Practice” at the Emerson College, New Urban Art Gallery in Boston, MA. I have also served for "the 25th Harvard Arts Festival" at the Harvard Arts Museum, "Common Boston 17 Festival" by Boston Society of Architects Foundation and "KidsBuild" by Boston Society of Architects as their organization team member.
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It is always a great pleasure for me to serve for the progress of diverse scholarly communities related to architecture, design and society with my strong emphasis on equity and inclusion: I am a founding member of Citizen TALES Commons, Cambridge-based multidisciplinary and international scholarly community on inclusive citizenship, civic engagement and humanities (with more than 100 international scholars), have initiated and co-curated its "Multidisciplinary Climate Conversation Series", co-organized its several lectures and talks by pioneering professors from MIT, Harvard University, etc., and attended several scientific conferences and symposiums as a co-speaker. As an invited scientific committee member of "VI International Conference on Architecture and Gender" in València, (4) I have also served as an invited and active member of "the first" Register Committee of the Society of Architectural Historians, Women in Architecture Affiliated Group with the invitation e-mail by its chair to join the proposal of this Women in Architecture Affiliate Group (2019), invited and active member of "the first" Media and Communication Team (2021), and invited member for their early oral history project (conducted my research at the beginning level) on Luigi Horn Mumford of SOM. Following the establishment of the Registers Committee in December 2020, I have regularly participated in its online meetings, am "the first" member submitting my systematic, in-depth and comprehensive research on “archival resources of diverse women architects and diverse women in architecture” in January and February 2021 (total: 41 pages). My systematic research is “the first” register of this Committee on archives, (5) and includes a comprehensive, systematic bibliography on diverse women architects.
To support equity and inclusion in architecture, I have served as an invited nominator for the Aga Khan Awards for Architecture (two times) and was an invited panelist at "Convergence at the Confluence of Power, Identity, and Design" held by “the Harvard University, Graduate School of Design (GSD)-Women in Architecture Group” in November 2018. Throughout “Convergence”, we invited everyone in architecture and design-oriented disciplines to take their concrete actions for systemic equity in education and profession. Following our strong messages, Professor Sarah Whiting was officially announced as "the first" woman dean in the history of the Harvard University-GSD in April 2019: We have accomplished! This panel was an inspiring experience for me to take equity-focused concrete and collaborative action with positive and historic transformation at the Harvard-GSD, a pioneering school in architecture.
.
As an accomplished Ph.D. holder in architecture, my secondary scholarly expertise fields and interests are theory and (postwar) history of the architecture profession and its (design) practice with a focus on design architect practitioner and (large-scale) client relation: I began my Ph.D. dissertation research at the Harvard University, Aga Khan History of Art and Architecture, Ph.D. Program as a special Turkish fellow, and continued this advanced research at the Columbia University, Graduate School of Planning and Preservation, Ph.D. Program as a research scholar. Based on my dissertation research at Harvard and Columbia universities (in particular with scientific research support by Professor Kenneth Frampton), I have completed "the first" Ph.D. dissertation on historical and theoretical analysis of practice conducted by Tekeli-Sisa Architecture (Istanbul, 1954-present) with a specific research problem on design architect-(diverse) large scale client relation in the private sector. I have also obtained my bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture.
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I have over 100 publications in architecture, including published scholarly essays, articles, digital collection, published research report, interviews on my research, editorial monographs, digital publications of my panel talks, symposium and conference presentations, short documentary films and translations. According to Archnet at MIT, the digital and systematic collection created and developed by me as their curator is "the largest" of several additions to their Women in Architecture Collection with my strong emphasis on underrepresented, minority communities and inclusion. (in 2016). (3). As a guest editor of SAHARA (January 2023), a digital image archive developed by the Society of Architectural Historians in collaboration with Artstor and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, my goal has been to emphasize diverse, inclusive and multidisciplinary characteristics of public interior spaces by considering our pandemic (lockdown) experience. With this guest editorship, I am also “the first” member of “the Research Committee of the Historic Interiors Affiliate Group at the Society of Architectural Historians” (HIG-SAH) to bring interior design as a discipline into focus through SAHARA. Created by my extensive, inclusive and global scholarly vision, my 19 editorial monographs on pioneering contemporary and modern architects of the 20th Century are accessible at leading academic libraries in the U.S. architecture, such as at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library of Columbia University, the Frances Loeb Library of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the Rotch Library of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Architecture & Planning. Among them, my published architectural monograph on Bernard Tschumi is accessible in Swiss Collections, a gateway to historical and modern collections in Swiss libraries and archives. (Bibliographic code: bbg08). With my accomplished editorial and scholarly background in architecture, I have also conducted an extensive architectural metadata project at the Columbia University-Avery Library and am a peer reviewer of the PLAN Journal (TPJ) on research, studies and criticism in architecture and urbanism to support diverse and inclusive studies and publications by teaching and research communities in architecture. I am also a dedicated and inclusive content developer of (scholarly) visual knowledge resources and digital image archives on architecture and the built environment: With my published "1261" high quality architectural and interior photographs, I am a content developer of "SAH Archipedia", authoritative online encyclopedia of the U.S. built environment organized by the Society of Architectural Historians and the University of Virginia Press and "SAHARA" by SAH. Publication of my six short articles and "226" high quality architectural and interior photographs by SAH Archipedia are also in-progress.
.
Exhibition is a significant part of my scholarly dedication to architecture: My exhibition project, “The Life Cycle of Celile Berk in Postwar Architecture: Her Challenge at the MIT-Architecture and in the U.S.” was shortlisted by the international jury of “the Life Cycles of Women in Architecture Exhibition” organized by “Women Who Design” in 2020. I was also among participants and organization team members of our collaborative exhibition project, “Citizen TALES Commons” as a part of the Exhibition: “Re-Imagining Civic Engagement, Civic Media: Art & Practice” at the Emerson College, New Urban Art Gallery in Boston, MA. I have also served for "the 25th Harvard Arts Festival" at the Harvard Arts Museum, "Common Boston 17 Festival" by Boston Society of Architects Foundation and "KidsBuild" by Boston Society of Architects as their organization team member.
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It is always a great pleasure for me to serve for the progress of diverse scholarly communities related to architecture, design and society with my strong emphasis on equity and inclusion: I am a founding member of Citizen TALES Commons, Cambridge-based multidisciplinary and international scholarly community on inclusive citizenship, civic engagement and humanities (with more than 100 international scholars), have initiated and co-curated its "Multidisciplinary Climate Conversation Series", co-organized its several lectures and talks by pioneering professors from MIT, Harvard University, etc., and attended several scientific conferences and symposiums as a co-speaker. As an invited scientific committee member of "VI International Conference on Architecture and Gender" in València, (4) I have also served as an invited and active member of "the first" Register Committee of the Society of Architectural Historians, Women in Architecture Affiliated Group with the invitation e-mail by its chair to join the proposal of this Women in Architecture Affiliate Group (2019), invited and active member of "the first" Media and Communication Team (2021), and invited member for their early oral history project (conducted my research at the beginning level) on Luigi Horn Mumford of SOM. Following the establishment of the Registers Committee in December 2020, I have regularly participated in its online meetings, am "the first" member submitting my systematic, in-depth and comprehensive research on “archival resources of diverse women architects and diverse women in architecture” in January and February 2021 (total: 41 pages). My systematic research is “the first” register of this Committee on archives, (5) and includes a comprehensive, systematic bibliography on diverse women architects.
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As a licensed architect in Türkiye, I have pursued my accomplished and responsive professional design practice with my teaching and publishing career in architecture. Following my professional degree in architecture, my graduation project has been nominated as an award candidate at the National Architecture Awards by the Chamber of Architects of Türkiye and exhibited in this Award Program's Travelling Exhibition across the country.
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Finally, I am a fanatic appreciator of Stanley Clarke (Grammy-winning bassist, producer and composer in jazz), King Crimson (pioneering band in progressive rock/progressive metal, 1968-present) and Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (Western Classical, the late Romantic period). My acoustic Fender along with singing is inseparable part of my life!
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For lecture and speaking arrangements, remote teaching, collaborative projects and questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great day!
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meral@meralekincioglu.com
My Upcoming Online Class:
Architecture Design for Urban Agriculture and Food Equity
Date: December 7, 2024; Saturday
Time: 9.00 am - 10.40 am;
EST Time Zone.
Registration: It is limited with maximum 20 participants.
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My Teaching Experience and Interests:
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• Responsive Multidisciplinary and Contemporary Design Territories in the 21st Century Architecture
• Architectural Design as Public Health
• Material and Social Context of
the Architecture Profession in the 20th and 21st centuries
the Architecture Profession in the 20th and 21st centuries
• History and Theory of Modern Architecture for Contemporary Challenges
• Advanced Architecture Design Studio
• Graduation Project in Architecture
• Graduation Project in Architecture
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My Certificates:
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• The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Resilience and Adaptation Online Certificate Program (in-progress).
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• The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Approved Continuing Education (AIA CES Course Number: THP 04-82523, wood fiber insulation for both thermal and acoustical performance), October 17, 2023.
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• "Consortium for Graduate Studies, Gender, Culture, Women & Sexuality" (GCWS) hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, November 6, 2019.
• The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Resilience and Adaptation Online Certificate Program (in-progress).
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• The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Approved Continuing Education (AIA CES Course Number: THP 04-82523, wood fiber insulation for both thermal and acoustical performance), October 17, 2023.
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• "Consortium for Graduate Studies, Gender, Culture, Women & Sexuality" (GCWS) hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, November 6, 2019.
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My Courses completed:
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MITx: Cities and Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation
• HarvardX: The Health Effects of Climate Change
• MITx: Sustainable Building Design
• HarvardX: The Health Effects of Climate Change
• MITx: Sustainable Building Design
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My Languages for Scientific Research in Architecture:
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English
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German
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Turkish
My profile on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/meral-ekincioglu-ph-d-b649b6b
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My profile on Archnet at MIT:
https://www.archnet.org/authorities/2975
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My profile on Humanities Commons:
https://hcommons.org/members/meral2020
https://hcommons.org/members/meral2020
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My profile on Archinet:
https://archinect.com/people/cover/150330395/meral-ekincioglu
https://archinect.com/people/cover/150330395/meral-ekincioglu
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My blog on architecture:
meralekincioglu.blogspot.com
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My youtube channel on architecture:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa7o9RHlFNucbNy_mIq2uw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa7o9RHlFNucbNy_mIq2uw
My Membership:
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• The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) (2020-present; 2017-2018; 2014-2015)
• The SAH Historic Interiors Affiliate Group, Research Committee member
(2021-present)
• The SAH Climate Change and Architectural History Affiliate Group
(2021-present)
• The SAH Minority Scholars Affiliate Group, (2020-present)
• The SAH Race and Architectural History Affiliate Group (2020-present)
• The SAH Race and Architectural History Affiliate Group (2020-present)
• The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) of North America (2020-2021; 2017-2018)
• The Association for Middle East Women's Studies (AMEWS) (2020-2021)
• SpaceArchitecture.org (2020-2022)
•European Architectural History Network (EAHN) (2019-present)
• The Society of American Archivists, SAA. (2019-2020).
• Northeast Modern Language Association (2020-2021)
• Citizen TALES Commons, Cambridge based multidisciplinary, international scholarly community, founding member (2018-present)
• Friend of Boston Society of Architects (2015-present)(2015-
• World Architecture Community
(honorary member) (2008-present)
• Harvard Neighbors (2006-present)
• The MIT’s Women League
(2014-present)
• The MIT Women Chorale (2006-2007).
• Columbia University Alumni Association, Türkiye. (2021-present)
• Invited scientific committee member, ICAG . VI International Conference on Architecture and Gender, Valencia, 2023.
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The SAH-Women in architecture -affiliate group membership
( 2020 - 2022, Sept.) by the chair's invitation e-mail to join its proposal (2019); its first Registers Committee - membership by the chair's invitation e-mail (on archives and bibliography, 2021 - 2022, Sept.); Media and Communication team member by the chair's invitation e-mail
(for “Humanities Common” page, contribution, 2021, August - 2022, Sept.).
(for “Humanities Common” page, contribution, 2021, August - 2022, Sept.).
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If you wish to reach information of all my publications and projects in architecture on digital platforms, you can search my surname as "Ekincioglu" (its spelling in English) and "Ekincioğlu" (its original spelling in Turkish).
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