Burak Pak’s research and professional interest areas are digital design and education, design computing, generative design, design technologies and virtual environments.
After two years of professional architectural practice 2000-2002, he was employed by Istanbul Technical University as a design consultant and research associate. He contributed to various international and local conferences about design computing and information technologies as a member of the organization and reviewing committee. As an adjunct lecturer in ITU Faculty of Architecture, he actively involved in design studios and visualization courses.

He attended to architectural competitions and worked freelance for architectural offices like Kisho Kurokawa, Doğan Tekeli – Sami Sisa.

Burak Pak was employed as a member of the founding committee and lecturer in the ITU Information Technologies in Design Graduate Program for five years.

He continued his research for 12 months as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Texas A & M University VIZlab and later, in Carnegie Mellon University, Computational Design Lab.

Burak Pak has completed his PhD thesis in Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Architecture. He was co-advised by Arzu Erdem (ITU) and Ömer Akın (Carnegie Mellon University). His thesis involved a comparison of “Design Activities and Decisions in Conventional and Computer Aided Architectural Design Processes”.

In January 2009, he received a three-year research grant from the Brussels Regional Government to work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in KU Leuven (University),  LUCA / Sint-Lucas School of Architecture on a research project about design and evaluation of experimental virtual environments that support decision making (cordis.europa.eu Link of the Research Program).

Besides Sint Lucas School of Architecture, he holds a tenure-track faculty position in Istanbul Technical University, Institute of Informatics.

Member of eCAADe, ACADIA, UNICEF donors and The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science

http://pakb.blogspot.com

PUBLICATIONS

PAK, B., NEWTON, C. (2012-forthcoming) Eversion as a Generative Metaphor for Situating Virtual Worlds in Architecture and Urban Design Education, Virtual Worlds in Online and Distance Education,  Planned for publication by Athabasca University Press as an Open Access publication (online and print) in the Issues in Distance Education series edited by Terry Anderson (Athabasca University, Canada)  (Book Chapter, accepted and under second review)

PAK, B.,  VERBEKE J. (2012-accepted and forthcoming) Design Studio 2.0: Augmenting Reflective Architectural Design Learning Using Social Software and Information Aggregation Services, Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITCon) Vol. 17 ISSN 1874-4753

PAK, B., VROUWE, I. 2011 Design and Development of Low-Cost Portable Immersive Spaces, ACADIA Conference 2011 Integration Through Computation University of Calgary, Canada

PAK, B., VERBEKE, J. 2011 Usability as a Key Quality Characteristic for Developing Context-friendly CAAD Tools and Environments, Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference, University of Ljubljana (UL), Slovenia

PAK, B., VERBEKE, J. , AG-UKRIKUL, C. 2011 An “Open-Source” International Urban Design Studio organized in Brussels, Utilizing a Web-based Geographic Virtual Environment Prototype for the Collaborative Analysis of a Fragile Urban Area Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference, University of Ljubljana (UL), Slovenia

AG-UKRIKUL, C., PAK, B., 2011, Brussels/canal: Everyday spaces in transition, uAD studio 2010-11, International Program Urban Architecture Design Track, Semester 01, Sint-Lucas School of Architecture Publications, Brussels/Belgium, ISBN:9789081323833. (Available in Print Book Format)

PAK, B., VERBEKE, J. 2010 A Virtual Environment Model for Analysis and Evaluation of Future Development Projects for a European Capital, Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference, ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule), Zürich

PAK, B., VERBEKE, J. 2010 Models for Creating the Prospective City: Opportunities and Challenges of 4D GIS and Virtual Environments, Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference, ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule), Zürich

GLANVILLE, R., PAK, B. 2010 Quasi-Entailment Mesh, European Meetings on Cybernetics and Systems Research, 2010,Vienna University / Austria

PAK, B., ERDEM, A. 20?? Design Decisions in Computer-Aided and Conventional Architectural Design Processes, ITU Journal of Architecture, ISSN: 1303-7005 (Accepted, in Press)

PAK, B., 2010. A Virtual Environment for Analysis and Evaluation of Alternative Urban Development Projects for the Brussels Capital Region, Institute for the Encouragement of Scientific Research and Innovation of Brussels, Prospective Research for Brussels Project Report 2010 (235 pages)

PAK, B., KUHK, A. 2009. Re-inventing Brussels: How Knowledge on Alternative Urban Development Projects can Alter Urban Policies, The 4th International Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU), The New Urban Question, 2009. Delft University of Technology, Amsterdam, p.1421

PAK, B. 2009. Challenging the Cultural Frameworks: a Dialogue with George Legrady, XXI Architecture Design Periodical,Istanbul. Vol 75 February 2009, ISSN: 1303-9598 URL: http://www.xxi.com.tr/?action=displayMain&ID=38

PAK, B. 2009. Cutlery, Shoes, Faucet and UFO: Antwerp Port Authority Building. Yeni Mimar, Istanbul, Vol 75 July 2009. URL:http://www.yenimimar.com/index.php?action=displayArticle&ID=757

PAK, B, 2009. A review of Marcos Novak’s latest exhibition “TURBULENT TOPOLOGIES” and interview with the artist.XXI Architectural Design Periodical, July 2009

ERDEM, A, Pak, B, 2007. A New Paradigm in Architecture: Real or Virtual? (Yeni Mimarlık Paradigması: Gerçek mi Sanal mı?), Arredamento Architecture Journal, December 2007, No. 208 pp.64, Boyut Publications, Istanbul

PAK, B, OZENER, O,ERDEM, A, 2006. Utilizing customizable Generative Design Tools in Digital Design Studio: Xp-GEN experimental form generator, International Journal of Architectural Computing vol. 4 – no. 4, pp. 21-33

LANDRENEAU, E, OZENER, O, PAK, B, AKLEMAN, E, KEYSER, J, 2006. Interactive Rule-Based Design – An experimental interface for conceptual design, Van Leeuwen, J.P. and H.J.P. Timmermans (eds.) Innovations in Design & Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning, Dordrecht: Springer, ISBN-10: 1-4020-5059-3, ISBN-13: 978-1-4020-5059-6, p. 433-446

ERDEM, A, PAK, B, 2005. Information and Communication Technologies in Design Studio: New Tools, Strategies and Techniques at Work, ITU Journal of Faculty of Architecture Volume 2 / No 3-4 – spring – fall 2005 ISSN 1302-8324

ERDEM, A, PAK, B, 2004. Potentials of Integrating 3d modeling Environments into Design Education : PG.W Workshop,ECPPM Conference 2004 ITC@EDU, Istanbul Technical University

ERDEM, A, PAK, B, 2004. Virtual Architecture: An Experimental Studio (Sanal Mimarlık: Deneysel Bir Stüdyo Çalısması),Summer 2004, Vol: 4 , The Official Journal of Turkish Chamber of Architects (TOL)

PAK, B, OZENER, O, 2004. Digital Medium and Design – Digital Design Days (Dijital Ortam ve Tasarım – Dijital Tasarım Günleri, Portfolyo Architectural Journal, August 2004

PAK, B, OZENER, O, ERDEM, A, 2003. Xp-GEN. A randomized design tool for non-deterministic digital design methods in architecture and visual design Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference 2003, Graz University

OZENER, O, PAK, B, ERDEM, A, 2002. Fluxxoid v.4.1 “the liquified being of space”, European Capital, Education and Research Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference, 20 [design e-ducation] Modeling Real and Virtual Worlds, Warsaw University of Technology

OZENER, O, PAK, B, ERDEM, A, 2002. Internet as an Architectural Design Medium (Mimari Etkinlik Alanı Olarak Internet ve Yeni Perspektifler), 8th Internet Conference, Istanbul
Conference Reviewerships

Communicating by Design International Conference, Brussels, 2009

Member of the scientific committee.

Fragile International Student Conference, Brussels, 2011

Member of the scientific committee.

Seminar Organizations

Digital Design Days Conference 2003, Digital Design Days Conference 2004 , Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture >> Website

Istanbul Fragmented International Conference 2005 , Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture >> Website

Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research 2004, Istanbul Technical University >> Website

Workshop Organizations

Experiments in Paperless Media, 2005 Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, (with Arzu Erdem)

PG.W Workshop, 2004, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, (with Arzu Erdem) - The use of Polygon Modeling in Architectural Design >> Overview

Fractal Workshop, 2004, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, (with Arzu Erdem) - Designing Spaces using Fractal Algorithms, L-Systems

Cocoon Workshop, 2004, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, (with Arzu Erdem) - CAD CAM / Integrated Methods and Approaches in Architectural Design

Virtual Museum Project, 2003, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, (with Ozan Ozener and Arzu Erdem) - Designing Virtual Architecture

da351, 2002, Liquified being of space,Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, (with Ozan Ozener and Arzu Erdem) - Experimental Animated Form Generation Using Predefined Algorithms