Growing up, my community’s Turkish cultural center was located in different industrial parks. The warehouse would become the gym, the market, the playground. Offices danced between classrooms, playrooms, and hiding spots. Acoustic ceiling tiles popped up when a room would get unintentionally locked. These are childhood memories of using spaces we have, in ways we need; a significant spark and motivation to ensure the relative conversations were brought to light.
While the exploration started architecturally in the traditional manner, I quickly found that the problem diagnosis, design solution approach was not going to work. There were too many layers and specific issues. I did not want to be discussing my design approach as a solution, but rather bringing attention to the topics of concern in a captivating manner. As a result, the design work remained in the abstract realm. Some can claim it is not an architectural endeavor, though I believe the outcomes and accompanying conversation are enough to prove otherwise.