Instructors: Ozge Sade (Cornish) and Ahmet Sezgin (MEF University, Istanbul).

Cornish Interior Architecture and MEF University in Istanbul Collaborate on Built Environment Project

In the 2020-21 school year, students of History of Interior Architecture at Cornish and Architectural History and Theory II at MEF University in Istanbul came together to tell the stories of designers, built environments, and geographies that have been often left out of conventional historical narratives. In the context of the chosen yearly theme “The Collective Response” in the Interior Architecture Department at Cornish, the aim was to create a “collective response” to the global health crisis and inequitable practices. At the Department of Architecture at MEF University, the collaboration strengthened the effort to teach the architectural history and theory classes out of Eurocentric narratives.

While the lack of in-person communication during the pandemic was a loss, we took advantage of the online setting by establishing this collaboration overseas to provide new perspectives for students. In two online meetings bridging the gaps between two different continents and timezones, students of Cornish (Seattle) and MEF (Istanbul) had conversations about their research, which culminated in this booklet.

We hope you enjoy browsing “Untold Stories of the Built Environment” as much as we enjoyed this collaboration!

View the full online booklet: “Untold Stories of the Built Environment”.