Invited Speakers

PROF. DR. YUSUF ARAYICI

Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Northumbria Üniversitesi, İngiltere

Yusuf Arayıcı is a faculty member at Northumbria University with extensive research experience in Building Information Modeling (BIM). His research covers a wide range from BIM and process modeling to sustainable urban renewal and BIM-supported cultural heritage. He has worked on significant projects funded by the EU and ERDF, focusing on BIM-based modeling and 3D laser scanning for cultural heritage sites.

Between 2001 and 2011, Arayıcı was involved in various EU-funded projects that emphasized BIM integration, user requirement analysis, and 3D modeling. Notable projects during this period include DIVERCITY, INTELCITIES, and VEPS. Arayıcı also provided knowledge-based consultancy to architecture firms to support BIM adoption and contributed to specialized projects such as cultural heritage modeling.

Since 2013, Arayıcı has led BIM-based research projects focused on energy-efficient building design, smart heritage building performance, and digital twins. He has published extensively and authored several books, including Requirements Engineering for Computer-Integrated Environments in Construction, Building Information Modeling, and Heritage Building Information Modeling.

PROF. DR. HALİL ERHAN

Scholl of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) Simon Fraser University Surrey, Kanada

Halil Erhan completed his undergraduate studies at Middle East Technical University (METU). He pursued his master’s degree at Clemson University, focusing on the integration of 3D models into building design information. This experience deepened Dr. Erhan’s interest in Design Computation, a field he further explored during his doctoral studies at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Erhan is currently a professor at Simon Fraser University and the director of the Computational Design Laboratory. His interdisciplinary research approaches design as a cognitive and collaborative problem-solving process, aiming to provide effective and engaging tools to enhance the capacities of creative practitioners. Dr. Erhan and his research team develop and test design tools using innovative, human-centered computational approaches.

Dr. Erhan established a research program called “Design Analytics,” which leverages data from Performance Predictions to guide design space exploration through interactive data visualizations. He also collaborates closely with industry partners to promote the adoption of new tools in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) sector. Additionally, he launched a research program on data-driven design democratization to foster transparent discussions among design stakeholders around proposed built environments. Dr. Erhan teaches courses in human-centered software design, spatial cognition and reasoning, generative design, and evidence-based user interface development.