Cuma Seminerleri I: EDIFICE AS ’XENIA’ AND ARCHITECT AS A PUZZLED FIGURE AGAINST GLOBAL PROBLEMS

Cuma 02 Kasım 2012, 10:00-12:00, GAU - Millennium Senate Kongre Salonu EDIFICE AS ’XENIA’ AND ARCHITECT AS A PUZZLED FIGURE AGAINST GLOBAL PROBLEMS Murat ÇETİN (Assoc.Prof.Dr., Kadir Has University, Istanbul) ABSTRACT : Tackling the discipline of architecture as a phenomenon responding to the problems of the world, the study looks into the architecture in association with the notion of ’hosting’. The ’act of building’ is associated with the idea of ’hospitality’ particularly considering its relationship with the nature and topography or with loci in general. The talk primarily questions the position of architecture in relation to the global problems that the world has been facing, such as accomodation, hunger, poverty, inequality, pollution etc.. Along the same path, the talk criticially analyzes the role and attitude of the architect (as a madiating figure) in regard to these major problems in a historical perspective. Thus, the study aims to reveal the hypocracies and inconsistencies of the profession and its ’so-called’ ethics. The economic and social aspects of the activity of building (as the basis of aedificium edificium) are discussed in regard to the intrinsic dilemma of architecture, that is to say public versus individual. BIO-STATEMENT : Murat ÇETiN has studied architecture both at Middle East Technical University where he received his B.Arch and M.Arch degrees as well as Sheffield University where he conducted his PhD studies. He has been involved in architectural practice as well as in architectural research and education. His research areas focus on urban form, urban space, urban morphology, urban transformation, urban design, and urban conservation. He worked at various universities such as Balıkesir University, Yeditepe University, King Fahd University, Doğuş University. He published his various researches in form of book chapters, journal articles and conference papers. He condusted various international workshops. He received his Associate Professorship form the Higher Education Council of Turkish Republic. He is currently teaching at Kadir Has University, Faculty of Arts & Design.