Hayri Dortdivanlioglu
Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow, Society of Fellows | Department of Studio Art
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Hayri Dortdivanlıoglu is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dartmouth Society of Fellows, affiliated with the Studio Art Department. His scholarship examines the intersection of craft, architecture, and technology, focusing on how established frameworks have historically separated theoretical knowledge from material and embodied processes in architectural discourse. His research critiques the canonical foundations of the architectural discipline, addressing the exclusionary practices that have shaped the field of architecture.
Dortdivanlıoglu earned his Ph.D. in Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2024 as a Fulbright Scholar. His current book project, Toward a Woven Theory of Architecture, builds on his doctoral dissertation by broadening the counter-canonical analysis of Vitruvius to examine the role of canonical frameworks in shaping architectural theory and discourse from antiquity to the present. Toward a Woven Theory of Architecture demonstrates how the marginalization of manual labor in Vitruvian theory reflects broader social hierarchies and advocates for a more inclusive model that reconciles intellectual work with the embodied, material processes of making. Building upon the historiographical focus of his book, Dortdivanlıoğlu's work also examines the relationship between architects and their tools, exploring how designers can critically and thoughtfully engage with emerging technologies to enrich architectural practice. Drawing on theories from Science and Technology Studies (STS), he employs weaving both as a metaphor and a method to highlight the interconnectedness of thinking and making in design. His work traces this relationship from ancient weaving practices to the Jacquard loom— an early computer precursor—and extends to contemporary computational design and fabrication technologies. Examining these technological shifts demonstrates how the boundaries between manual and intellectual labor in architecture have been continually mediated and redefined.
In addition to his scholarship, Dortdivanlıoglu has taught architectural history and design studios at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, where he received multiple awards for excellence in teaching and service. He co-founded the ConCave Ph.D. Student Group, which supports Ph.D. candidates and fosters an international community of scholars. As chief editor of the Divergence in Architectural Research Journal, he led the journal to win the prestigious Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals in 2023. He currently serves as the Director of Communication for the SAH Architectural Studies Affiliate Group. Prior to his doctoral studies, Dortdivanlıoğlu earned his B.Arch. and M.Arch. from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, where he graduated with the Excellence in Graduation Award.
Dortdivanlıoglu earned his Ph.D. in Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2024 as a Fulbright Scholar. His current book project, Toward a Woven Theory of Architecture, builds on his doctoral dissertation by broadening the counter-canonical analysis of Vitruvius to examine the role of canonical frameworks in shaping architectural theory and discourse from antiquity to the present. Toward a Woven Theory of Architecture demonstrates how the marginalization of manual labor in Vitruvian theory reflects broader social hierarchies and advocates for a more inclusive model that reconciles intellectual work with the embodied, material processes of making. Building upon the historiographical focus of his book, Dortdivanlıoğlu's work also examines the relationship between architects and their tools, exploring how designers can critically and thoughtfully engage with emerging technologies to enrich architectural practice. Drawing on theories from Science and Technology Studies (STS), he employs weaving both as a metaphor and a method to highlight the interconnectedness of thinking and making in design. His work traces this relationship from ancient weaving practices to the Jacquard loom— an early computer precursor—and extends to contemporary computational design and fabrication technologies. Examining these technological shifts demonstrates how the boundaries between manual and intellectual labor in architecture have been continually mediated and redefined.
In addition to his scholarship, Dortdivanlıoglu has taught architectural history and design studios at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, where he received multiple awards for excellence in teaching and service. He co-founded the ConCave Ph.D. Student Group, which supports Ph.D. candidates and fosters an international community of scholars. As chief editor of the Divergence in Architectural Research Journal, he led the journal to win the prestigious Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals in 2023. He currently serves as the Director of Communication for the SAH Architectural Studies Affiliate Group. Prior to his doctoral studies, Dortdivanlıoğlu earned his B.Arch. and M.Arch. from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, where he graduated with the Excellence in Graduation Award.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2024- Postdoctoral Fellow in Society of Fellows at Dartmouth College Affiliated with the Department of Studio Art
2017-2024 Graduate Instructor, School of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology
2023-2024 Adjunct Instructor, Department of Art History, Emory University
2011-2015 Teaching Assistant, Department of Architecture, Middle East Technical University [METU]
EDUCATION
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Architecture – PhD in Architecture [2024]
Fulbright Doctoral ScholarshipHistory and Theory of Architecture
Science, Technology, and Society, STS [Secondary Field]
Dissertation Title: “A Counter-canonical Reading of Vitruvius: Towards a Woven Theory of Architecture,” Advisors: Dr. Danielle Willkens and Dr. Vernelle A. A. Noel
Georgia Institute of Technology, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Art – Science, Technology, and Society [STS] Certificate [2019]
METU, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture – Masters of Architectural Design [2014, Cum. GPA 3.94]
Thesis Title: “Re-consideration of the Architectural Program[ing] of the Olympic Games”, Advisor: Dr. Berin GürMETU, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture – Bachelor of Architecture [2011, Cum. GPA 3.66]
High Honor Student, Best Graduate Award for Bachelor Graduation at the Faculty of Architecture, 2011Politecnico di Torino [Italy], Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture – Erasmus Exchange Program [2010]
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Taught Courses:
ARCH 2011/6105 History of Architecture I, Summer 2024ARTHIST 103 Understanding Architecture, Emory University, Fall 2023
Pre-College Architecture Studio, Georgia Tech, Summer 2023
ARCH 2854 Architectural Design Studio, Georgia Tech, Spring 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 ARCH 4803/6352 The Grace Machine, cotaught with Lars Spuybroek, Georgia Tech, Spring 2022 ARCH 2019 Architectural Design Studio, Georgia Tech, Fall 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021,2022
ARCH 1071 Architectural Design Studio, Georgia Tech, Spring 2022
ARCH 190 Model Construction Workshop, METU, Summer 2014, 2015, 2016
Assisted Courses:
ARCH 2011/6105 History of Architecture I and II, Fall 2023 and Spring 2024ARCH 3007 Architectonics in Greece, Georgia Tech, Study Abroad Program, Summer 2022
ARCH 3008/3009 Architectonics in Italy I & II, Georgia Tech, Study Abroad Program, Summer 2022 ARCH 3/4855 Vertical Studio, Georgia Tech, Spring 2018
ARCH 2854 Sophomore Studio, Georgia Tech, Fall 2017
ARCH 101 Basic Design Studio, METU, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ARCH 102 Introduction to Architectural Design Studio, METU, 2012, 2013, 2014
ARCH 103/104 Graphic Communication I & II, METU, Fall & Spring 2012, 2013, 2014
ARCH 302 Architectural Design Studio V, METU, Spring 2011
AWARDS & HONORS
ACADIA Cultural History Fellowship, Honorable Mention 2023Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals 2023 for Divergence in Architectural Design (coeditor)
Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 Honor Roll, Georgia Tech, Fall 2020, Spring 2021. Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award in the School of Architecture, Georgia Tech, 2021.
School of Architecture Leadership, Service and Professional Promise Award, Georgia Tech, 2021.
Second Price in METU’s Icons Product Design Competition 2017.
Best Graduate Award for Bachelor Graduation at the Faculty of Architecture, METU, 2011.
Excellence in Graduation: Honor Prize, Highest GPA in the Department of Architecture, METU, 2011.
High Honor and Honor Role in the Department of Architecture, METU, 2007-2011.