Architecture Portfolio - Z. YELKEN

ZEYNEP NAZ YELKEN

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

2024

Zeynep Naz

Yelken

ARCHITECT DESIGNER

PROFILE

Hi, I’m Zeynep, a passionate and focused architect with a passion for creating meaningful spaces. I thrive in collaborative environments, approach challenges with curiosity, and bring a friendly, engaging energy to every team!

linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/znyelken/ CONTACT

Rotterd am Work P erm it Pres e nt

EXPERIENCE

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER - DMF Group, Astana

Aug - Oct 2024 - Freelance

•Collaborated on the renovation of an international airport with multidisciplinary teams from three countries.

• Contributed to conceptual design, planning, and coordination phases, ensuring alignment with project goals.

• Gained hands-on experience in managing deadlines and adapting to a dynamic project environment.

• Assisted in developing design solutions for complex large-scale infrastructure challenges.

• Engaged in effective communication across diverse cultural and professional contexts.

STUDENT ASSISTANT - TU DELFT FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, ICT DEP.

Feb-Aug 2024

•Assisted students in resolving technical issues with architectural software and hardware.

• Provided guidance and support for overcoming project-related challenges.

• Delivered tailored solutions to improve students' proficiency in design tools.

• Fostered a supportive environment by troubleshooting technical difficulties effectively.

EVENT COORDINATOR/PLANNER - ART, Earthquake Recovery Workshop

Mar-Apr 2023

• Coordinated with experts and guest speakers to ensure their participation and engagement.

• Assisted in planning and organizing the schedule for a successful workshop week.

• Planned, organized, and set up the schedule and content for a successful workshop week.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER - TEAM CASA, Team Business

Feb 2021 - July 2022

•Led rebranding efforts, including designing a new logo, color scheme, and cohesive social media visuals.

SKILLS

ADOBE CREATIVE AUTOCAD

ARCHICAD REVIT

DIALUX EVO ENSCAPE LUMION

RHINO GRASSHOPPER TWINMOTION

COMMUNICATION TEAMWORK ADAPTIBILITY

PROBLEM SOLVING RESPONSIBILITY

LANGUAGES

TURKISH ENGLISH DUTCH RUSSIAN NATIV E FL U ENT A2 A2

• Created layouts, posters, and sponsored social media content to enhance brand presence.

• Designed invitations and promotional materials for the CASA 1.0 Project opening ceremony.

• Developed marketing materials to effectively communicate project goals and engage audiences.

TRAVEL ORGANIZER - COSMOS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Nov 2019 - Aug 2021

•Led and guided international students during trips, offering insights as a city guide.

• Planned and organized travel itineraries, including destination selection and scheduling.

• Managed trip budgets, ensuring cost-effective planning and adherence to financial guidelines.

TREASURER, LUSTRUM COMMITEE- COSMOS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Aug 2020 - Feb 2021

•Managed financial accounts and budget for the student association, ensuring proper allocation of funds.

• Successfully proposed and secured a budget increase for the association's events and initiatives.

EDUCATION

MSc. ARCHITECTURE URBANISM AND BUILDING SCIENCES

DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Sept 2022 - July 2024

Specializing in Heritage, Complex Projects (which involves integration of technology and architecture through grasshopper, and other optimization methods), and Architectural Engineering (focusing on sustainable tourism, mixed use developments involving accommodation, retail and residential zones.

Honors Academy BSc. ARCHITECTURE, SMART CITIES

EINDHOVEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Sept 2022 - July 2024

Specializing in Heritage, Complex Projects (which involves integration of technology and architecture through grasshopper, and other optimization methods), and Architectural Engineering (focusing on sustainable tourism, mixed use developments involving accommodation, retail and residential zones.

BSc. ARCHITECTURE URBANISM AND BUILDING SCIENCES

EINDHOVEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Sept 2019 - Jun 2022

Graduation project involving a culture park complex which involves performance halls of various sizes, schools and small studios. The project pays attention to public sequence at a masterplan level and carries it to the detail level of the performance hall.

LANGUAGES

SKILLS TURKISH ENGLISH DUTCH RUSSIAN NATIVE FLUENT A2 A2

HARDSKILLS

ADOBE CREATIVE AUTOCAD ARCHICAD REVIT DIALUX EVO ENSCAPE LUMION RHINO GRASSHOPPER TWINMOTION

SOFTSKILLS

COMMUNICATION TEAMWORK ADAPTIBILITY PROBLEM SOLVING RESPONSIBILITY ORGANISATION PRESENTATION

SELECTED WORKS

01

THE RIPPLE

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN HOTEL, RESIDENTIAL & MIXED-USE | RE-USE & ADAPTATION|ENERGY

02

KGF AIRPORT RENOVATION

PROFESSIONAL WORK

AIRPORT | RENOVATION | INTERNATIONAL WORK | INTERIOR | CONCEPT

03

VISTAS

CULTURE PARK

QUALITY URBAN SPACE | CULTURE | ATTRACTION POINT |LANDSCAPE

04

RHIZOME 2.0

DESIGN-TO-ROBOTIC PRODUCTION ON MARS PARAMETRIC DESIGN | DESIGN OPTIMIZATION | DIGITAL PRODUCTION

05

JUXTAPOSE

CHALLENGING BRUTALISM

HERITAGE | CULTURE | DUALITY & CONTRASTS | MONUMENTAL BUILDING

HOTEL RIPPLE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION THESIS-STUDIO 2024

DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY | TIME DURATION: 10 MONTHS

Inspired by the ripple effect, the project sought to foster meaningful engagement and create lasting benefits for both visitors and the local community. At the heart of this approach was applying passive design strategies, and implementing scripting for detailed energy analysis to achieve both efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The conclusion of this thesis was a comprehensive design manual, which outlines how to implement passive design principles across diverse tourism typologies and morphologies by also considering their architectural design potential.

The project is based on a coastal town in Malta, by transforming an abondoned building area into a vibrant social hub that serves both tourists and the local community. Key aspects included transforming existing structures into tourism hubs, implementing optimal natural ventilation layouts and configurations, and fostering social interactions between commercial and non-commercial stakeholders. Concepts included integration of tourism products into existing context, adapting energy efficient and financially feasable energy concepts like passive design and combat against high seasonality by introducing 3 lengths of stays as part of the tourism concept.

URBAN STRATEGY

INVITATION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE LUXURY

• Coastal promenate focuses on creating zones for informal gathering spots

• Integrates greenery to create a clear division between the residential zone, roads and pavement zone.

URBAN STRATEGY

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16

Long-term Accommodation (6-12+ months)

Medium-term Accommodation (1-6 months)

KGF AIRPORT RENOVATION

PROFESSIONAL WORK - JUNIOR ARCHITECT

KAZAKHSTAN - KARAGANDA

TIME DURATION: FREELANCE - 3 MONTHS

This professional project focused on the renovation of an airport, aiming to enhance its overall look and appeal. The work involved collaboration with a high-profile client and an international team and offices spanning Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Italy. The project concentrated on pre-design, concept design, and design development phases.

As a junior architect, responsibilities included:

• Contributing to conceptual floor plan development and brainstorming sessions.

• Minimizing high-cost changes while meeting client demands for a fresh and active look.

• Developing detailed floor plans, ceiling, and flooring plans.

• Preparing presentations, renders, and other supplementary visuals.

• Calculating material usage to support cost proposals.

The participation was conducted online, with weekly meetings and close collaboration between junior and senior architects, fostering a dynamic and productive team environment.

VISTAS CULTURE PARK

INDIVIDUAL SPRING/SUMMER STUDIO 2022

EINDHOVEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

TIME DURATION: 16 WEEKS

Vistas Culture Parks is designed to rejuvenate an area by integrating culture, education, and nature in a dynamic and cohesive way. The masterplan features a playful arrangement of tectonic forms that appear to rise from the ground, creating a seamless connection between the landscape and architecture. This thoughtful composition ensures that both local residents and visitors alike can enjoy the coastline, explore the park, and invigorate less frequented areas with new energy and activity.

At the heart of the concept is a striking play of contrasts. The design blends nature with the area’s industrial history through its choice of materials. The exterior facade presents

a modern, revitalized image of the town, while the interior embraces warmth and comfort with inviting timber finishes. Monumentality plays a significant role in the project, with performance halls, schools, and studios featuring bold, unique shapes that leave a lasting impression. The iconic treeshaped columns, which effortlessly lift the heavy structures off the ground, extend the greenery theme indoors, creating a harmonious blend between architecture and nature.

This project seeks not only to breathe new life into the area but also to foster a sense of community, creating a memorable, engaging environment where culture and nature thrive together.

A CULTURE PARK OF EXPERIENCES

Vistas Culture Park focuses on admiring a combination of arts and nature by creating a landscape of music and performance.

• Forms and elevations that resemble rocky elements emerging from the ground.

• Implementing suprise spaces forced perspectives and converging/ diverging paths.

• Different scales of public/private as well as an appealing coastline.

High & low density greenery

Reshaping the coastline

Creating perspectives surprise spaces Three scales of public space

Main performance hall - Exploded view program & structure

A PLAY OF CONTRASTS THROUGH MATERIALIZATION

• Externally, strong, angular masses blend with the landscape through green roofs and rock-inspired facades, echoing geological tectonics with a modern, industrial aesthetic.

• The interior shifts to a warm, natural wood palette, creating a surprising and inviting contrast that enhances the overall experience.

PERFORMANCE HALLT LOUNGE

TOILETS TOILETS

STORAGET MULTI-USE EXHIBITION

RHIZOME 2.0

DESIGN TO ROBOTIC PRODUCTION ON MARS

GROUP SPRING/SUMMER STUDIO 2023 - INDIVIDUAL WORK: IMPLEMENTING OPTIMIZED GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT

DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY | TIME DURATION: 9 WEEKS

In collaboration with the European Space Agency, this research focuses on achieving design-to-robotic production, optimization, and operation, aiming to link performancedriven design with robotic production and user-driven building operation. Utilizing Voronoi points, the structural stress lines are reinforced, ensuring solidity in critical zones during 3D printing while allowing in-between spaces to serve purposes like aquaponics, acoustics, and furniture. The exploration of zoning and pattern implementations demonstrates significant potential for 3D artwork, enhancing

spatial qualities through texture, color, and depth. This approach optimizes material use while integrating secondary spatial qualities. Additionally, the developed script explores efficient methods for implementing texture, furniture, and structure through 3D-printed concrete

Script for acoustic, structural and bioponic production related optimization

Design exploration phase

Design exploration phase

Programmatic and voronoi zoning

Structural analysis of the design

Zoning of structure, aquaponics (with piping)

Positioning denser acoustic texture along structural lines due to material density

TOP 7 SELECTED WORK FOR MUNICIPALITY PRESENTATION

JUXTAPOSE

INDIVIDUAL WINTER NOV-JAN STUDIO 2022

DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

TIME DURATION: 16 WEEKS

The former American Embassy in The Hague has long been a significant landmark, shaped by various historical events. However, beyond its role in political relations, the building has been perceived by many locals as imposing, with a dominant and aggressive presence. Juxtapose seeks to transform this perception by balancing the preservation of its heritage with a sensitive rejuvenation, while accommodating two distinct museums: Escher and Contemporary Art.

A key element of the design lies in the dialogue between the building’s historical character and modern intervention, mirroring the relationship between the two museums housed within. To achieve this, a secondary design language is introduced, aimed at softening the

embassy’s defensive and austere facade. The existing structure, designed by Marcel Breuer, will remain dedicated to showcasing Escher’s works, reinforcing the connection between the building’s geometric, brutalist style and Escher’s intricate, mathematical art. In contrast, a contemporary addition slices through the guarded facade, symbolically and physically opening the building to the public.

Inside, the interplay between these materials invites visitors to reflect on the juxtaposition of Escher’s work and contemporary art, creating an immersive experience where history and modernity meet.

Context Analysis - Existing styles

Juxtaposing Brutalism aims to capture the contrast between contemporary design and brutalism. This is due to the negative reputation over the existing building due to its historical background, style and materialisation.

The new addition slices through the building focusing on opening up the existing rigid structure and material concept.

This is combined with the two contrasting museums independently or collaboratively function withing the building.