Özge Cordan, a researcher at Istanbul Technical University, Department of Interior Architecture, took part as a researcher in a human-oriented and ambitious research project that seeks solutions to refugee integration, one of Turkey's most important social issues, with the unifying and healing power of design. In the project titled "Determining the Principles of Housing Design for the Integration of Syrians under Temporary Protection", she had the opportunity to deepen her researcher identity by taking responsibility in the processes of both conducting in-depth field studies with Syrian families in Sultanbeyli and transforming the collected data into concrete design principles.

Within the scope of the project, it was aimed to find a solution to the housing problem of Syrian families by rearranging the interiors of existing houses according to their cultural and modern life needs. Cordan was a guest at the homes of fifteen Syrian families and tried to understand their perception of 'home', privacy, hospitality and daily life practices through visual techniques, ethnographic methods and surveys. This rich qualitative data was then translated into concrete design principles, incorporating spatial arrangements and furniture recommendations.

"To enter a person's home is to open a door to his mental world and culture. Spending time with Syrian families in their own living spaces and seeing the deep meanings they attribute to the concept of 'home' took my scientific curiosity and empathy-based problem-solving skills to the next level. Transforming ethnographic data into design principles that will improve their quality of life and facilitate their adaptation processes has strengthened my researcher identity on the axis of producing social benefit. The education I received at ITU was the basis for me to develop an analytical solution to this complex social and spatial problem I faced," says Cordan.

Özge Cordan, who undertook the coordinator of the project, not only conducted an academic study with the results she obtained, but also tested and finalized the determined principles by organizing a workshop with the participation of the project team, Syrian participants and all stakeholders. The project outputs were presented to the public in a printed and digital design catalog, providing a valuable resource to policymakers and non-governmental organizations on the subject.

While ITU reveals the role of design in social cohesion with a concrete project, it also gives our researchers like Özge Cordan the opportunity to make a lasting impact in the scientific world and society. The fact that a graduate student completed his thesis in the project is proof that Cordan's experience is the product of an environment where our students gain not only knowledge but also social responsibility and a culture of production.