INTERIOR ARCHITECTS CAME TOGETHER AT IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS

Interior architects came together at a colloquy where Iris Dunbar, President of the IFI (The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers), Sebastiano Renari, Roberto Lucena, and IFI authorities attended as part of the World Interiors Day celebrations. The future of the profession of interior architecture was discussed at the event organized by Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, with collaboration of TMMOB- Chamber of Interior Architects of Turkey, Izmir Branch and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ö. Osman Demirbaş, Past Acting President of IFI Executive Board. Students and academicians asked questions to Dunbar at the “Talking Interiors (İç Mekanları Konuşmak / Konuşan İç Mekanlar)” titled event organized by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Hasırcı, Head of IUE Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Research Assistant Seren Borvalı, Lecturer İpek Kaştaş, students Ozan Can Çiçek, Özün Özgen, and Pelin Saygı.   
Second activity with IFI was a panel titled “Herkes İçin Tasarım (Design for Everyone)” organized by Chamber of Interior Architects of Turkey, Izmir Branch and moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasırcı. IFI President Iris Dunbar delivered a presentation on IFI at the event commenced by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ö. Osman Demirbaş, Director of IUE Graduate School of Social Sciences. Members of IFI Executive Board attended courses and acted as jury members.  
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Hasırcı gave information about the event and she said that IFI was the highest ranking institution when it came to interior architecture. She said that among the topics discussed was life after graduation, difference between architecture-interior architecture, professional limits, and opinions of architecture-interior architecture education worldwide.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasırcı reported that Interior Architect Nilgün Çarkacı, Former Member of TMMOB Chamber of Interior Architects Executive Board who started the initial talks with IFI, and Interior Architect Assoc. Prof. Dr. Demirbaş played an important role in organizing the event. “Significant steps have been taken in the name of promoting the profession of interior architecture in our country and worldwide. IFI is known as the ‘United Nations’ of interior architecture. IFI board members repeated many times that the University, and department studies were very professional and impressive. Medium of instruction at the University being in English, and our students’ design and English skills got their attention. Our contact with IFI will continue, and we started the initial talks for our department to become a member of IFI,” said Hasırcı.