VOLUM-E is a three-dimensional design project developed within the second module of Bilkent University’s FA 101 Basic Design I course. It takes its name and inspiration from Wall-E, the robot who collects and repurposes leftover waste in a world buried under garbage. The project is built around the concept of “upcycling”: students begin with everyday objects that have lost their original function but still feel worth preserving, then bring these objects together into a composition and gradually abstract them into planar (surface) and linear (edge) elements to discover new volumetric relationships. Its focus is on giving discarded materials a new meaning through an ecological, sustainability-minded approach, while developing a language of volume grounded in core design principles such as unity, order, rhythm, balance, and hierarchy.

At its core, the project asks students to move from familiar objects toward the idea of volume its transitions and its flow. The aim is to create a systematic volumetric composition made of grouped linear and planar elements and their variations, using qualities like color, transparency, and texture to define the volumes and the overall flow. The process unfolds through composition, de-composition, variation, and re-composition, encouraging students to constantly reconsider their choices and refine the integrity of the whole.

2027 Fall Instructors:
Burçak Altay
Mehmet Tahir Ayparlar
Ekin Bayrak
Aysu Berk Haznedaroğlu
Cem Dedekargınoğlu
Mehmet Tevfik Gürsu
Hatice Karaca
Işıl Özgön
Melis Sözen
Osman Batuhan Türker
Berfin Yıldız Yiğit

Graduate Assistants:
Samira Asadmosaffar
Şevval Çuhadar
Simin Doğan
Berfin Eroğlu