Interior Design Department Students at Yeditepe University Awarded at IDEALIST Exhibition
Before graduating and entering the industry, 14 students from the Interior Design department at Yeditepe University received their certificates for participating in a "Design Workshop" led by Hakan Sekmen, a well-recognized name in the sector. Hakan Sekmen emphasized the students' early exposure to real-world projects through this workshop during the Fall semester of 2022-2023, saying, "Our students have already had the chance to experience a real project firsthand, visiting the site and solving all its challenges. This workshop was an important step to ensure they are not like fish out of water when they start their professional careers."
The workshop, named "Advanced Retail Design Studio," was conducted for third-year students of the Faculty of Architecture, Interior Design Department, and was led by architect Hakan Sekmen and Dr. Aslan Nayeb. The students participated in the design process of a 'multi-story store' project, which Hakan Sekmen's Office was simultaneously carrying out. Upon completing the design workshop, the certificates were presented to the students by Prof. Dr. Canan Aykut Bingöl, Rector of Yeditepe University. Prof. Dr. Bingöl addressed the students, stating, "You create living environments based on our needs, shaping the future. You are innovators. We talk about innovation, but you are the embodiment of it. You have shown us this with your work. Thank you for mentoring our students.
Adding stone upon stone is very important and valuable, as it is challenging. You have beautifully illustrated this."
"They Took on Responsibilities Beyond Their Level"
Prof. Dr. Ece Ceylan Baba, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Yeditepe University, highlighted the importance of collaboration between professional practice and academia, saying, "We produce projects like this in all our departments, and we aim to collaborate with qualified partners. Idealist was such a partner for us. We have had a wonderful semester. Our students completed this process with great motivation, taking on responsibilities well beyond their level. I believe the process is a significant gain, not just the designs they created. They have engaged with a real job before graduating, facing the realities of different design aspects."
"They Will Start Their Careers a Step Ahead"
Prof. Dr. Baba added, "Our students learned and managed to deal with many parameters such as infrastructure, lighting, and commercial expectations within the project. They were tired but did not give up. Fourteen students stayed fully engaged throughout the 14 weeks, indicating their high motivation individually and as a team. We are very pleased. I believe this experience will start them several steps ahead in their profession."
"They Worked Together to Divide the Multi-Story Store Into Layers"
Highlighting the uniqueness of the workshop in the industry, Hakan Sekmen said, "Yeditepe University and the Idealist Interior Design Association conducted this project under an educational commission. We brought to life a real project that our office is working on, by creating a program with our university professors and students. They worked on this multi-story store project by dividing it into layers. This was significant because, although what we learn in academia is important, we become fish out of water when working in the real world. A significant period of experience is needed for this transition. Our students already had the chance to experience a real project, visit the site, and face and solve all the challenges firsthand. It was a very valuable process in this regard."
"We Strived to Balance Their Dreams with Reality"
Hakan Sekmen, reflecting on the 14-week workshop with students, continued:
"The students exceeded my expectations. They had already gone through a selection process to participate in this workshop, so they experienced the job application process as well. All of them were highly qualified. We aimed to balance their dreams with reality because they could come up with very far-fetched ideas that might not be feasible or create something too mundane. It was important not to hinder their dreams, to bring them to life, and to be aware of the realities because this is a store, and there is the pressure of sales and turnover. The students surprised us with their ideas, learning to make them feasible."
"I Learned to Surpass My Limits with This Project"
Student Atalay Kabili, who participated in the project, said, "When I learned about this project, I wanted to join to test myself. We conducted the work collaboratively with our peers. I worked on two sections: an electronics store and a supermarket. This helped us learn how to progress in the market. The project process was more challenging than we expected, but the result was very satisfying. With our professors' encouragement, I learned to identify and surpass my limits. I hope to establish my own business in the future and undertake various projects for Turkey and the world."
"We Accessed Information We Couldn't Have Gained Before Entering the Industry"
Another participating student, İrem Yanık, shared:
"My main goal in applying for this project was gaining experience I likely couldn't get anywhere else. I ended up gaining much more experience and learning than I expected. Mr. Hakan enlightened us about lighting and ventilation and the mechanical system, which are pieces of information we could only have gained by entering the industry. The process was long and exhausting but also very enjoyable. Normally, the projects we do in school are individual, but working in a group brought the experience to a whole new level. Bringing together different designs and perspectives and combining them into a single plan was another experience."