Karaköy
Wood design and build / Datça Summer Workshop
Lightweight Structures III : Weddings, celebrations and food in the mediterranean
7 -12th September 2026
Karaköy, Datça, Tûrkiye
Design & Build Module Directors: Erazo Pugliese
INTRODUCTION
Datça Summer School and Workshops that have been organized since 2019 by the Faculty of Architecture at İstanbul Bilgi University, have brought together interdisciplinary research and design projects focusing on the peninsula's cultural geography and architectural heritage.
Open to undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines —with a particular emphasis on architecture, design and planning-related fields— the Datça Summer School/Workshop is conducted in collaboration with academic institutions and scholars from both Türkiye and abroad.
In previous years, academics and experts from countries including the United States, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Lebanon have contributed to the program. Since 2024, the summer workshops have been jointly organized by the Faculties of Architecture at İstanbul Bilgi University, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston).
In September 2026, two parallel workshops were held in Karaköy Village, Datça under a shared theme.
MODULE 1 : DESIGN & BUILD
The first one followed a design-build format similar to that of the previous year, while the other one focused on the research and mapping of the village's public spaces and their patterns of use. The design-build workshop constituted the second in a series of projects aimed at improving the public spaces of Datça's villages and supporting traditional communal events that bring local residents together.
As part of this workshop, a food preparation and serving unit was designed and constructed for use during village weddings. Outside the wedding season, the structure will function as a multipurpose installation for the sale of local products.
The timber system produced in the previous workshop was adapted to accommodate these different activities and constructed at a 1:1 scale.
MODULE 2 : MAPPING RECIPES
Complementing the design-build workshop, the research and mapping workshop investigated the geographic and spatial networks related to food supply, cultivation, and preparation in Karaköy Village, using a selection of typical wedding dishes and their recipes as a starting point.
The two workshops, conceived as mutually supportive, were conducted within a shared framework connected through joint presentations, site visits, and discussions.
The 2026 workshops have been organized in collaboration with the Wentworth Institute of Technology Study Abroad Program and have brought together students from WIT, İstanbul Bilgi University, and Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University. Participation has been limited to a total of 20 students.
