Researcher 2: Asli Kolbas: Reworlding social housing estates: integrating social and ecological practices of conceiving, using and maintaining collective space // UHasselt

Social housing estates have the potential to, because of their scale and location, trigger larger transition processes. Think of expanding slow road networks, restoring the infiltration capacity of water systems, increasing the biodiversity of natural corridors, etc. The main question of this PhD is how to not only capitalize on this ecological potential, but also on its potential to trigger social transition processes. How can the introduction of new ecological networks, systems and corridors increase the capacity of residents, ngo’s and local authorities to both care for themselves and for their environment.

PhD candidate: Asli Kolbas

Aslı Eylem Kolbaş is an academic, architect, and artist; experimenting with interdisciplinary methods, such as storytelling and crafts(wo)manship. She aims to expand her curiosity onto ecological practices and entanglements with more-than-human actants. During her studies in Brussels, she co-founded the participatory design collective, Manhappen Studio, which culminated in a final event and exhibition as part of the IABR (Rotterdam International Architecture Biennale) -The Missing Link's food truck in Brussels in 2018. To further explore her interest in typology, the focus of her master's thesis, she worked at Office Winhov in Amsterdam, a firm specializing in specific typologies. She also served as a field architect for the sculpture-façade project designed by a sculptor from Istanbul. She participated in the 2020 exhibition "Mamut Art Project" with her graphic novel, "Macbeth(f.)." In 2021, she was selected for the “Emerging Architects Selection and Exhibition” by The Circle from Istanbul. The following year, her furniture design was chosen for "Future Heirlooms" and was produced and exhibited in 2023. Between 2021 and 2024, she taught several courses, including the first-year Basic Design Studio for both the architecture and interior design department, as well as offering many core and two elective courses focused on speculative drawing and design practices at Istanbul Bilgi University.