Başak Çakmak
Education
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul/Turkey - 2022/2027
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Architectural Design Computing
Middle East Technical University
Ankara/Turkey - 2019/2022
Master of Architecture - MArch
Thesis: Extending Design Cognition with
Computer Vision and Generative Deep Learning
Middle East Technical University
Ankara/Turkey - 2014/2019
Bachelor of Architecture
Gazi Anatolian High School
Ankara/Turkey - 2009/2013
Courses
| Game Development I |
| Game Development II |
| Advanced Game Development I |
| Advanced Game Development II |
| GAME 202 | New Platforms for Game Development |
| GAME 211 | Level Design |
Areas of Interest
Game development, procedural content generation, medical technologies, generative AI, XR technologies, architectural design computing, UI and UX design, media studies, real-time system development
Rewards and Achievements
Epic Games — Authorized Unreal Engine Instructor (Gold Level), Unreal Engine Instructor Partnership Program, 2024–present.
Beetech 2025 (ITU ARI Teknokent) - 1st Place, Academic Company Category (ORBYCRA A.Ş.).
01/2024–06/2025: TÜBİTAK TEYDEB 1512 (Project No. 2230040) - GRAFTENGINE (AI-supported medical graft & molding system); project personnel (via ORBYCRA).
03/2022–02/2026: TÜBİTAK BİDEB 2211-A National PhD Scholarship Program; scholarship recipient.
2019 / METU / Graduation Project
From Terrain Vague to City Hub |Yedikule Gas Factory Complex
Best Graduation Project Award (Chair’s Award)
2018 / ITU / DESIGN TOGETHER
WITH BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING - Second prize
Other Information
Other education and expertise
Professional qualification:
• Epic Games — Authorized Unreal Engine Instructor (Gold Level), Unreal Engine Instructor Partnership Program, 2024–present.
Supplementary training / workshops:
•Digital Futures DeepDesign Workshop (Neural style transfer in 2D/3D), Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan, June 2020.
•METU Immersive and Responsive Environments Workshop (VR/AR–BIM coordination), Middle East Technical University, Nov 2018.
•METU Civil Engineering BIM Seminar (BIM technologies), Middle East Technical University, Nov 2018.
Other key academic merits
•Conference presentations: Design Computing and Cognition 2022 (Glasgow, UK); XR Salento 2025 (Otranto, Italy).
•Invited talks/panels: 5th International Balkan Medical Congress (2025); International Digital Trust, AI and the Future Conference (2025); Games for Change Türkiye Festival (2024).
•Institutional roles (Istanbul Bilgi University): Entrepreneurship Committee; Scientific Excellence Area in Entrepreneurship; Spark Up Application Evaluation Board.
Community engagement: Volunteer member, XR Türkiye (2024–present).
Key technical expertise: Python; C#; C++; JavaScript/TypeScript; Java; MATLAB | PyTorch, TensorFlow | Unreal Engine, Unity | Three.js, WebGL, glTF | Node.js, React, Vue.js, REST APIs | IFC, GeoJSON, data modelling | Git/GitHub, reproducible workflows | (CAD/BIM) Rhino/Grasshopper, Revit, AutoCAD | (3D) Blender, Maya, 3ds Max.