İpek Kuran Yıldırım, MSc. Arch., Media Artist & Designer, Academician

FOUNDER

Ipek Kuran is an architect who graduated from Izmir University of Economics, Fine Arts and Design Faculty, Department of Architecture. She has shifted her interest into biodigital architecture and interactive design so she started her masters in UCL, Interactive Design Lab. and completed at Istanbul Technical University, MSc. Architectural Design in 2018. Currently, she is a PhD student at Yıldız Technical University, department of Art and Design. 

Since 2016, she has been working at Mekan.Space. Their projects are part of VR1 BAU and also since 2020 she is a part-time lecturer at İstanbul Bilgi University VCD and Digital Game Design departments. 

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The courses she teaches are:

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Introduction to Design and Creative Thinking 

Game Arts and Aesthetics

Immersive Experience Design

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Her research interests are: VR/AR, Bio Art, Trans Genetic Art, Game Art, Experience & Interaction Design, Parametric Architecture, Bio Architecture, Media Art, Cinema 

CV

Professional Experience

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• Part Time Instructor. : İstanbul Bilgi University, VCD Faculty (2020 - Present):

               VCD – “Immersive Experience Design”

               Digital Game Design – “Introduction to Design and Creative Thinking”

               Digital Game Design – “Game Arts and Aesthetics”

• Co-founder – Architect/ Creative Director : Mekan.Space Experience Design Lab.  (2016 – Present ) – VR1 Virtual Reality Lab. BAU

• Research Assistant: İstanbul Kültür University – Dept. of Arch. (2016 – 2017)

• Architect : MAER & Partners (2015 – Project Based)

• Architect: Aisha Melodie Hassan Architects (2014 – Project Based)

• Internee: Tabanlıoğlu Architects (2012)

• Internee: Selimoğlu Group (2011)

Education:

• Undergraduate : İzmir University of Economics, FADF, Architecture, 2009 - 2013

• Master of Science: UCL, The Bartlett, GAD, Interactive Architecture Lab. , 2013 – 2014 /  İstanbul Technical University, Architectural Design, MSc., 2015 – 2018

• PhD : Yıldız Tehnical University, Faculty of Art and Design, Art and Design Program, 2020 - 

Languages:

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• English:  Advanced

• Fransızca : B1

• Almanca: A1

Publications:

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• Undergraduate Thesis:

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               Thesis Title:  “Cybernetic Organisms to Develop New Construction and Design Technics in Architecture”

               Advisors: Gudjon Thor Erlendsson, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahenk Bayık Yılmaz

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• Master Thesis:

               Thesis Title:  “RE-DEFINING THE BODY-SPACE INTERACTION THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY”

               Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pelin Dursun Çebi

• Papers presented in international and national scientific meetings and published in the proceeding book:

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               Kuran, İpek & Yalçın, Tuğba. “Dancing Spaces” - A Methodology for Re-programming, DAKAM   Press, İstanbul, November                 2015 (ARCHTHEO 15’ – IX. International Theory and History of Architecture Conference Series)

               Kuran, İpek & Kaya, Burcu Z. “Collective Space Making at the Intersection of Body-Space Interaction (IAPS 18’ Rome, Italy)

               Kuran, İpek & Çebi, Pelin D. “Production of Interactive Spaces in the Collaboration of Biotechnology and Architecture

               ( IAPS 18’ Rome, Italy)

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               Kuran, İpek & Kaya, Burcu Z. “Sanal Gerçeklik Ortamında Edimsel Mekan Üretimi  (Poedat Konferansı  18’ İstanbul )

Art and Design Experiences:

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• Exhibitions

               Exhibition: Digilogue, Sonar+D, 7 March 2020, Zorlu Center, Curator: Lalin Akalan

               Artwork: “2020: Interactive Virtual Museum”, An interactive virtual reality experience which is created as a result of                             workshops organized at Bilgi University, Alt Lab. And Bahçeşehir University, VR1 Virtual Reality Lab. Virtual Reality

               Team: İpek Kuran, Zeynep Burcu Kaya

               Exhibition: Atina Digital Art Festival, ADAF, Extending Reality, CoExistence Art, Science & Technology,14-17 Nov. 2019,                     Eugenides Foundation, the New Digital Planetarium, Athens, Greecce

               Artwork: “Amnion VR” Virtual Reality

               Team: İpek Kuran, Zeynep Burcu Kaya, Selen Lun, Ali İhsan Tokatlıoğlu

               Exhibition: Designblok, Prague International Design Festival, 17-21 Oct. 2019, Výstaviště Praha Holešovice, Prag

               Artwork: “Amnion VR” Virtual Reality

               Team: İpek Kuran, Zeynep Burcu Kaya, Selen Lun, Ali İhsan Tokatlıoğlu

               Exhibition: Digilogue, Sonar+D, 9 March 2019, Zorlu Center, Curator: Lalin Akalan

               Artwork: “Amnion VR”  Virtual Reality

               Team: İpek Kuran, Zeynep Burcu Kaya, Selen Lun, Ali İhsan Tokatlıoğlu

               Exhibition: Muğlak Alan, 19 April – 10 May 2018, CKM, Curator: Nilgün Yüksel

               Artwork: “Expedition” Virtual Reality

               Team: İpek Kuran, Zeynep Burcu Kaya, Selen Lun, Ali İhsan Tokatlıoğlu, Zeynep İşlek  

               Exhibition: Big Data: Designing with the Materials of Life, 4- 13 Feb. 2014, CSM, London

               The Bartlett March GAD and CSM's MA Textile Futures           

               Artwork “Colouring Our Chromosomes” Video Art

               Team: İpek Kuran, Sunny Han, Alison Taylor, Roisin Johns & Zuzana Lalikova

• Workshop Organizations:

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               “2020: Interactive Virtual Museum” – Bilgi University / Alt Lab. – Feb. 2020

               “2020: Interactive Virtual Museum” – Bahçesehir University/ VR1 – Feb. 2020

               “Amnion” – Zorlu PSM – Digilogue Future Tellers 18’ / İstanbul – March 2018

               “Amnion” – Studio-X  / İstanbul – Feb. 2018

               “Ritim Mekan” – Danshane / İstanbul – Dec. 2017

               “Dönüşen Mekan” – Açık Stüdyo / İzmir – Feb. 2017

               “Manipülasyon Atölyesi – İstanbul Tasarım Bienali 16’, TAK / İstanbul – Sept. 2016

               “Göçmekan” – Erikli Yaylası / Yalova – August 2016

               “Dans Eden Mekanın Pesinde – TAK / İstanbul – May 2015

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               “Umberto Eco’nun Köyü 1/1 Harita Çizimi”, UMÖB 15’ / İzmir – July 2015

• Workshop Participations:

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               AA School of Architecture - Visiting School, Trans-Computational Pavilion 4.0 COAM / Madrid, İspanya -  July 2016

               BioDesign Workshop BEC 2015 - VII. Bioengineering Congress, Ege University / İzmir - 19 - 21 Nov. 2015

               AmberFest 14’ - Crystal Bodies Workshop, Şafak Uysal / İstanbul - 6-9 Nov. 2014

               İstanbul. Places of Gathering. On Vaults, ITU ve Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Germany / İstanbul - 14-19 April 2014

               KUKAIprc Workshop with Sigrid Brell-Cokcan Spring, İzmir University of Economics / İzmir – Spring  2013

               The Organic Architecture Seminars Int. Workshops, Reinhard Coppenrath, Healing Architecture / İzmir – Sept. 2013

               Glass Architecture Workshop, Tim Macfarlane / İzmir – Spring 2012

               AA School of Architecture – Visiting School, Cinematic Architecture, Villa Arson / Nice, France– July 2012

               The Organic Architecture Seminars Int. Workshops, Reinhard Coppenrath, Place for Giving Birth / İzmir – Sept. 2012

               The Organic Architecture Seminars International Workshops, Reinhard Coppenrath, Designing a House / İzmir – Sept. 2012

               Pure Construction- Nakedness Workshop, Murat Uluğ / İzmir – Fall  2010

Software:

• Rhinoceros 3D 

• Processing 

• Grasshopper 3D

• Unreal Engine 4 

• Blender 

• Autodesk Motion builder 

• Autodesk Maya 

• Adobe Creative Suite

  • Adobe Photoshop 

  • Adobe Illustrator

  • Adobe Indesign 

  • Adobe Premier Pro 

  • Adobe After Effects 

• Arduino 

• Processing 

• Autodesk Autocad

• Autodesk 3D Max 

• Sketch Up

Volunteer Works:

               Technical University Yoga Club (Ayazağa Campus) – (500 TT Yoga Alliance) Yoga Instructor ( 2019 -    )

               Challenge: Future – Action Team #8 – Writer / İzmir “CF Chapter” President (2011)

               Toplum Gönüllüleri Vakfı – Volunteer/Bergama Environmental Project Coordinator (2011)

               Mim.li Gazete – İzmir University of Economics/ Architecture Department-Monthly Magazine   – Writer/Editor (2011-2013)

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