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Demet Sürücü, graduated from Istanbul University Forest Industry Engineering in 2001. She completed her master's degree in the same field in 2005. While continuing his work on timber building materials, timber house production, timber structure restoration and repair, she established the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality KUDEB Timber Training Workshop in 2008. Until December 2020, she carried out the repair and restoration of more than 150 buildings. She is a PhD candidate on Forest Industry Engineering and currently working on thesis which is Chemical Effects of Natural Aging on Historical Timber Structures of Istanbul. She is member of Turkish Timber Association.

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EXPERTISE - RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Structural analysis and design of modern and historic timber structures in earthquake zones. Design with natural materials (earth, wood, strawbales). Survey, structural and constructional analysis, assessment and restoration of heritage buildings with emphasis in timber structures (prehistoric and historic ones). PHD: "The structural role of timber in masonry of palatial type buildings of Minoan Crete”.

Since 1993, member of 31 scientific National and International Committees and Organizations for the protection of historical timber structures and the design of new timber structures (RILEM, COST ACTIONS: IE0601 FP1101, FP1402, Greek delegate for Eurocode 5, member of Scientific Committees of International Conferences on Timber Engineering). Member of the Boarding Committee for 9 years of the International ICOMOS Wood Committee and the Hellenic Icomos, Member of ISCARSAH, Expert of Unesco/Icomos: Field Evaluator of Nomination of Cultural property to the World Heritage List. Honorable distinction (golden mark) from the Association of Monument Conservators of Poland for her contribution concerning the protection of 16 historical timber churches in Poland and Ukraine (Tserkvas) and their inscription in the World Heritage List (Unesco).

Participation in 26 Greek and European research programs. Director of Building Materials Laboratory of the Architecture School of NTUA. Author and co-author of: 5 books and manuals, 11 chapters in Collective Volumes, 29 papers in peer-reviewed proceedings of International and National conferences and journals. Translation of European Standards for timber structures, member of European Committees for writing Standards (EC8-part3 and part8, EN17121). Teaching in undergraduate and post graduate studies in Greece and other European countries, courses for building materials, for modern and historic timber structures. 45 invited lectures in National and International seminars and workshops. Professional activity: design and supervision of ~80 modern timber structures and ~ of 53 restoration projects.

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Johan Mårtelius is an architect and professor emeritus of architectural history at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (1993-2019), with wide interests in classical and vernacular roots of architectural culture. He also has special interests in the eastern Mediterranean regions, with continuous connections to the Swedish Researdh Institute in Istanbul.

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In almost 30 years she has been deeply involved in both the science around wooden architecture as well as designing and building projects in wood. Today she shares her time between the work for changing the way we build into better practice for climate and sustainability and leading the strategic work around wood with her colleagues at AIX Architects.

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Dr. Olcay Aydemir was graduated from Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Architecture in 1997. She received master degrees from same university Building Science and Technology Division and Kadir Has University, on ‘Preservation of Cultural Assets’ and doctoral degree from City Planning Department of Yıldız Technical University. She got ‘Restoration Expertise Certificate’ in 2000 from Directorate General of Foundations. After her experience as a restoration expert in aforesaid Directorate, she was assigned as the director of İstanbul Directorate of Surveying and Monuments in 2018-2021. She provides consultancy on the protection and maintenance of Cultural Heritage. At the same time she is an active lecturer in universities giving lectures on Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets, Urban Politics and Management, Urban Preservation and Urban Life Quality. Her studies are continuing focusing on the legislative arrangements of preserving and conserving cultural heritage. She actively gets part in related projects. Aydemir is married with two children and speaks fluent English.

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Ahmet Türer is the the head of Department of Civil Engineering / Middle East Technical University. He is experienced in historic structures, bridges, structural evaluation, condition assessment, retrofit. Works on instrumented structural health monitoring (SHM). Teaching and research at METU.

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I was born on fırst of April early hours 1956 in Kars / Turkey.

I attended state schools in various rigions, chronologically, as Kelkit / Gümüşhane, Ankara, Ünye/ Ordu, Ankara.

I had contact with particular environment and culture in my childhood. I had visited my extended family members in Old Town Sultanahmet / Istanbul on my vacations. I was highly infulanced with spaces which ı lived in mostly traditional timber and timber combined structures.

I graduated Metu Architectural School, specialised in Urban Desing in 1980

I spend long time in Model Workshop related wood Works at the University.

When ı was graduated, master carpenter from Model Workshop was retired and together established small scale desing and build workshop for the market. Always we focused on using best row material and improving end product.

I had training in Genova / Savona - Italy in MASPELL wood vacum drayer Company on purpose in 1984. It was cell scale technical timber material experience and one of the turning point in my profession. Fallowing two years I visited verious solid timber high end furniture producer small companies in Como region / Italy. I focused on using wood materials more in any form and purpose on my mind.

I moved to US in 1990 spend some time in Nashville / TN and Washington DC, interest in stick frame timber structures. I notice Canadian Wood Products at the timber structure site in Alexandria / Virginia. I fallow the sign move to North to Toronto / Ontario – Canada in 1992.

I had a year survey from east to West cost for a well organised timber structure company. I was agree on cooperation with Normerica Inc. As one of the best Canadian timber structure company in 1993. Additionally, Still Creek,Cedar Product Company from West Cost BC, and Exulon, hard wood product company from Quebec , are the Canadian partner companies.

Working on timber and timber combined buildings restoration Project was the advantage for the team to improve the details and the product. Giorgio Gianighian from Venice is one of the best consultant related our conservation and restoration Project. Heavy timber structure Projects was extended the scope. Gerald Epp from BC, Gerhard Scikofer from Graz, Ernst Ghery from Zurich are most exprianced consultant in this field.

Still today, timber, timber brick and stone combine new and old structures desing and build projects are my field of interest. I believed in succesfull small companies and well organised teams which are in the international experienced prorofessional network is optimum structure for the best result.

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Tomas Alsmarker is a structural engineer with a passion for wood. He took his Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Lund University in 1987 and his Licentiate degree in 1992. He was among the very first in Sweden to develop and implement solutions for multi-storey timber framed buildings, as a researcher at the university as well as a structural engineer in practice. For a couple of years Tomas shared my time between different universities and different consultant companies. After having been adjunct professor in Wood Design and Technology at the Linneaus University, Växjö his next step was as business area manager and vice president at Tyréns, one of the largest consulting companies in the Swedish urban development sector. He has also been the CEO at Nyréns Arkitektkontor, one of Swedens best known architectural firms and the Design Manager at BoKlok, a well known Swedish housing developer. Since August 2021 Tomas Alsmarker is Head of Innovation and Research at Swedish Wood.

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Helena Lidelöw has 15 years of experience from academia, working with timber engineering and industrialized construction. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles and presented work at many international conferences. Her textbook ‘Industrialized House-Building’ is used at several Swedish universities in teaching. After achieving Associated Professor level, she propelled into industry and has since 2010 worked at Lindbäcks Bygg with R&D and Design. Her scope covers digitalization of design data, development of data flows, communication with automated machines, BIM modelling, Lean construction methods, modularization, and configuration – always with an outset to optimize the entire supply chain and facilitate product and process flow.

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Ece received her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture at the University of Miami followed by a Sustainable and Environmental design M. Arch degree from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.

She has gained in-depth practical and professional experience in Miami, London and Istanbul. She has worked on a diverse portfolio of high-profile international projects. Ece is a versatile architect and environmental designer with a focus on material systems and sustainability through computational technology. She founded her own design practice CAS in 2015 and co-founded The Circle,a research and production platform for architecture, art and culture in 2018.

Ece focuses on the production of sustainable approaches to establish the optimum design efficiency in every project. She is dedicated to the practical application of technology to ensure that the projects which are executed around the world are designed in accordance with the highest standards.

Ece has a keen specialization in environmental design, material systems and sustainability which she simultaneously develops through academic research supported with computation-based design and digital manufacturing technologies. She has been a part-time studio instructor for ‘the Computation Based Design Studio’ at Istanbul Bilgi University.

Ece was selected as a finalist among many strong candidates in the category of ‘Best Architect in the 2019 WICE (European Women in Construction and Engineering) awards.

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Esra Turan Tombak is an architect working as the head of department in the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization at the moment. She has been working in the Ministry for 24 years in different positions as an architect and branch manager responsible from project preparation and project supervision for administrative structures such as government house, courthouse, prison, ministry buildings, also participated in the preparation of secondary legislation of energy performance of buildings. Before being government staff she was working as site architect. She was working in the restoration project of civil architectural buildings registered in Diyarbakır Suriçi region. Esra Turan Tombak, has LEED GA certificate. She has been working as the coordinator of the World Bank financed Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings Project and Seismic Resilience and Energy Efficiency Project in Public Buildings Project.

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Jan Åman is an entrepreneur, curator, writer and activist specialized in the intersection between cities, buildings, food, art and social phenomena. Since January 2018 he is the creative director – responsible for strategy and innovation – of the development of Duved, a small village in the North of Sweden, where the country-side is turned into the engine of social innovation (instead of the big city). Prior to that he was the concept developer of the innovation hub A house in Stockholm. In 2015 his then company, AtelierSlice, was commissioned to produce and curate the innovation program for the USA pavilion at the World’s Fair in Milan (see feedingtheaccelerator.com). He co-curated the process to develop the city of Upplands Väsby 2010-15. He was the curator of De ou par Marcel Duchamp par Ulf Linde at the Royal Swedish Art Academy (2011), and the editor (with Daniel Birnbaum) of the book following the exhibition. He founded and directed (1995-2008) Färgfabriken, a contemporary laboratory rather than an ordinary art space, which under his direction four time produced one of the world’s ten best exhibition according to Artforum Magazine in New York. He curated seminal exhibitions with artists such as Maurizio Cattelan, Carsten Höller, Doug & Mike Starn, David Byrne, Nathalie Djurberg and Jenny Wiklund. He received two government commissions to generate innovation through food. In 2016 he was visiting professor at UC Louvain in Belgium, with architect Mia Hägg. In 2015 he initiated the studio The Feast at Städelschule in Frankfurt. He was a founding studio partner at Harvard GSD 2012-15 (headed by OMA/NY) and has and will lecture for the studios of Farshid Moussavi at Harvard GSD.

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Mia Hägg is an architect and the founder of Habiter Autrement, initially based in Paris and, subsequently, in Locarno. Since 2007, Habiter Autrement has designed housing and commercial buildings as well as various masterplans. The approach to innovative public housing has been a particular focus for the practice and the office has built three award-winning projects in Bordeaux as well as one in Paris. In her early career, at Ateliers Jean Nouvel, she was employed as Assistant Project Manager on the Dentsu Tower, Tokyo and later at, Herzog & de Meuron, as Project Manager for the National Stadium of the 2008 Beiijing Olympics. Mia Hägg has been teaching Master and Bachelor levels at UCLovain in Tournai, Belgium and at the Accdemia di Architettura in Mendriso, Switzerland. She is regularly invited to join juries and to give lectures at academic institutions internationally. She participated in the Venice Biennale in 2012 and 2016. Mia Hägg is committee member of Europan Sweden and of the Swiss Federation of Architects in Ticino.

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Şebnem Yalınay Çinici (Prof.Dr.) received her B.Arch (1989), M.Arch (1991, in Architectural Design) and Ph.D. (1999, in Architectural Design) degrees from Middle East Technical University (METU), Department of Architecture; and completed her Post-Doctorate studies (2001) in Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. She started and pursued her academic career at METU, Department of Architecture (1991-2006), and Yıldız Technical University, Department of Architecture (2006-2011). In 2007 she started delivering courses in the Graduate Program of Architectural Design at İstanbul Bilgi University. In 2003 she founded and initiated Digital Design Studio in the Faculty of Architecture at METU. Besides conducting basic design and architectural design studios, her major field of research is ontology, technology and philosophy; architectural design; high-end design+production technologies and their integration into design education. She has numerous national and international publications; exhibition participations and curations. She was the curator of VCMD 3 on Architecture and Education (Dreams to Realities: Projections on Education Exhibition at İstanbul Modern); and exhibit her studio work at the collateral events of 16th Venice Biennale 2018 and architect@Work 2018 (First Year Student Projects: Carapace and Woodle; ComputationBased BasicDesignStudio@BILGI, 1:1@1 Material Performance).

Şebnem Yalınay Çinici, being a co-founder of Department of Architecture (2009) and ComputationBased_BasicDesignStudio@BİLGİ (with an alternative approach for first year design education), is continuing her academic career at Istanbul Bilgi University, where in years 2011-2020 she was the founding Head of Architecture Department.

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Dr. Anna Maria Orrù has been an educator, professional, researcher and enthusiast in the field of biomimicry since 2003. She has worked within architecture both in practice & research in London with Grimshaw, Exploration Architecture and at Arups. In 2010, she moved to Sweden and since has been teaching and driving biomimicry education in various Swedish departments of Architecture and Design, including institutes such as KTH, Chalmers and Konstfack. Her PhD ‘Wild Poethics’ furthered the topic of nature-inspired design using artistic and embodied methodologies. Currently, she holds a Senior Lecturer position at Konstfack University of Arts, craft and Design where she is responsible for the Nature-inspired and sustainability modules. She is co-author on the study for the Nordic Council of Ministers and co-founder/director of Nordic Biomimicry. In her spare time, she is a beekeeper, an explorative orange wine-maker, and takes care of an olive grove in her continued efforts to co-habit and collaborate with nature.

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Jonas Runberger is an architect, researcher, and educator in the intersection of digital and material design. He leads the Dsearch team at White Arkitekter and holds an Artistic Professorship in Digital Design at Chalmers ACE.

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