Significance of the Client and His/Her Changing Characteristics in
Architectural Design Practice History of the Skidmore, Owing and Merrils - New York Office
in the 1960s-the 1970s
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(Scholarly in-depth Research Study by Dr. Ekincioglu at the Columbia University-GSAPP, Ph.D. Program).
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When I was research scholar at the Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Ph.D. Program, I conducted a scholarly research study on theory and modern history of the architecture profession. More specifically, tracing its dual character "as an art and a profession", I examined "the interaction between architectural design practitioner's creativity and large-scale client’s economic and commercial expectation in the private sector".
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(Scholarly in-depth Research Study by Dr. Ekincioglu at the Columbia University-GSAPP, Ph.D. Program).
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When I was research scholar at the Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Ph.D. Program, I conducted a scholarly research study on theory and modern history of the architecture profession. More specifically, tracing its dual character "as an art and a profession", I examined "the interaction between architectural design practitioner's creativity and large-scale client’s economic and commercial expectation in the private sector".
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As a significant case in the field, I scholarly studied architectural design practice history of the SOM-New York Office with an emphasis on large-scale client and his/her changing profiles/characteristics in the private sector in the 1960s-the 1970s in addition to my dissertation research on postwar Turkish architecture. With research support by Professor Kenneth Frampton, Professor Reinhold Martin, Janet Parks (in order to reach a collection on the sociology of the architecture profession, design architect-client interaction, and architectural design practice), and generous architectural support by the SOM New York Office, I studied four specific architectural buildings designed under Gordon Bunshaft’s leadership in the private sector (selection criteria of those four architectural buildings was their historical significance with their architecture design, practice and different large-scale client’s profile/organizational/economic-commercial characteristics in the private sector); examined their architecture (design) "practice" through interaction between design architect’s creativity - large-scale client’s economic or commecial expectations in the private sector. In this respect, relevant Ph.D. dissertations, in-depth scholarly essays by architecture historians, theoreticians, critics, AIA reports and surveys, my appointments with Kenneth Frampton, Reinhold Martin, Mustafa Kemal Abadan, Michael Sorkin, Robert Hillier, William Menkings, Robert Ivy and Suzanne Stephens, my electronic communication with Nicholas Adams helped me to comprehend how to clarify my Ph.D. research problem on “design architect’s creativity and large-scale client’s economic / commercial expectations” through their scholarly, architectural and editorial perspectives and different/multilevel experiences. In parallel to my scholarly research process, I also visited some significant architectural buildings by SOM-NYC Office in NYC, examined characteristics of their spatial organizations, took their architectural photographs, etc. In the end of this Ph.D. dissertation research studies at the Columbia University, GSAPP, Ph.D. Program (after my Ph.D. dissertation research at Harvard University), I could clarified the essential problem, hypothesis, theoretical foundation, research method, case study (Tekeli-Sisa Architecture Partnership in postwar Turkish architecture) of my Ph.D. in the US as my all emails reveal this fact. With this in-depth, advanced and systematic research studies at Harvard, and in particular, Columbia universities, in the US, I began to study on “practice history and theory of Tekeli-Sisa Architecture Partnership in postwar Turkish architecture (as a case study of my Ph.D.) with an emphasis on interaction between design practitioner’s creativity and large-scale clients’ (economic and commercial) expectations in the private sector.
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Without generous dissertation research support by Kenneth Frampton, Reinhold Martin, Nicholas Adams and SOM-NYC Office (and my previous independent Ph.D. dissertation research at Harvard University), I could not have clarified all essential principles of my Ph.D. on postwar Turkish architecture with its case study.
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With my English dissertation draft (including essential research problem, hypothesis, theoretical studies, method to examine four large-scale architecture buildings designed by Tekeli-Sisa Architecture Partnership, such as Chrysler Truck Assembly Plant; Lassa Tyre Factory; a bank and office building complex in Zincirlikuyu; Metrocity Shopping, Office and Residence Complex, I went back to Istanbul Technical University, and submitted my English Ph.D. dissertation draft to the jury and Tekeli-Sisa Architecture Partnership by emails for the final research study. As the founding partner of this office clearly expressed after my Ph.D. dissertation research in the US, there was no Ph.D. or any other (systematic and in-depth) scholarly research study/essay on “their practice history” with theoretical analysis on architectural design practitioner's creativity and large-scale client’s changing profiles in the private sector.
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As Ph.D. jury reports clearly show in Turkey, the jury's decision was a comparative Ph.D. between the US and Turkish architecture although it is highly critical by all professors, architecture historians, critics at Harvard, Columbia universities and in the US.
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Following my in-depth and systematic dissertation research studies in the US, I succesfully completed and obtained my Ph.D. (only) on Turkish architecture as all professors highly recommended in the US, and supported my scholarly efforts in many ways.
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All documents and sound records are in my personal archive. Some revelant documents, jury reports, some e-mails were submitted to the Presidency of Republic of Turkey for my copyright and scholarly publications.
All documents and sound records are in my personal archive. Some revelant documents, jury reports, some e-mails were submitted to the Presidency of Republic of Turkey for my copyright and scholarly publications.
All rights reserved
Meral Ekincioglu, Ph.D..D.
Meral Ekincioglu, Ph.D..D.
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International Affiliations
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Columbia University
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Columbia University
Harvard University
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