The “Designing with Heritage – Ulus Field Trip,” organized within the scope of the ARCH535: Design, Conservation, and Recovery in Historical Environment course of the Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (AYBÜ) Architecture Master’s Program, was successfully held on December 2, 2025, in the historic Ulus district of Ankara.
Supervised by Assist. Prof. Dr. Cemile Feyzan Şimşek, the field trip aimed to explore the rich urban heritage of Ulus and to critically analyze the processes of conservation, transformation, and contemporary architectural intervention within historical environments. Starting at the Gençlik Park Entrance, the event offered graduate students a comprehensive on-site learning experience, enabling them to directly observe the layered historical and urban fabric of the city.
Throughout the field trip, participants visited significant historical structures and urban landmarks of Ulus, while also examining examples of recent architectural designs and urban interventions. This dual focus allowed students to evaluate how modern design approaches interact with historic contexts, and to discuss issues such as adaptive reuse, sustainability, and heritage-sensitive design.
In addition to the AYBÜ Master’s students, the event was honored by the participation of esteemed faculty members from the AYBÜ Department of Sociology: Prof. Dr. Mustafa Orçan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yahya Aydın, and Research Assistant Salih Utku Ünal. Their interdisciplinary contributions significantly enriched the discussions on urban heritage, social memory, and transformation processes. Moreover, the contributions of M. Arch. Merve Alkan and M. Arch. Özden Karabekiroğlu from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism added professional insight into current conservation practices.
The field trip was guided by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Çelik from the AYBÜ Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of History of Science, who provided in-depth historical and scientific insights into the urban evolution, architectural identity, and cultural significance of the Ulus district.
Through on-site observations, discussions, and analytical evaluations, the Ulus Field Trip created a dynamic academic environment and made a valuable contribution to students’ understanding of conservation practices, urban transformation, and the relationship between past and present in architectural design.
