The “Türkiye’s Earthquake Reality: Symposium on Architecture, Planning and Disaster Management in the Earthquake Provinces on the 2nd Anniversary of the 6 February and 20 February 2023 Earthquakes”, organised in cooperation with the Chamber of Architects of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and the Gaziantep City Council, was held in Gaziantep with the participation of professionals and academics.
Before the symposium, at which solution-oriented academic and professional approaches in architecture, urban planning and disaster management will be discussed, the opening ceremony of the exhibition of student projects “Design of the İslahiye City Square, Municipality and Annex Service Building”, carried out in cooperation between Bilkent University and the HKU Department of Architecture, was attended by Governor of Gaziantep Kemal Çeber, HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin, HKU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan, Chamber of Architects Gaziantep Branch President Mustafa Büyükuncu, HKU Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture (FFAA) Acting Dean Prof. Dr. Gülden Gümüşburun Ayalp, and professionals, academics and students who are experts in their fields.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli said: “Considering our country’s geographical location, ensuring that our citizens have the right to live in safe buildings against earthquake risk, strengthening existing buildings and designing sustainable buildings are of great importance for the safety and welfare of our society. Many academic fields, especially the disciplines of architecture and urban planning, play a critical role in building communities resilient to disasters. Creating safe, sustainable and liveable spaces after disasters will be possible through collective wisdom and cooperation supported by scientific knowledge.”
At the two-day symposium, organised on the second anniversary of the 6 February Earthquakes with the aims of creating healthy and safe urbanisation and living environments, ensuring the production of built environments that are robust against disasters, and protecting cultural, historical and architectural heritage and passing it on to future generations, HKU FFAA faculty member Asst. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Murat Uluğ will evaluate the relationship between disaster management and architecture from an academic perspective.
