Architectural Design Computing, Istanbul Technical University, 2025

Architectural Design Computing, Istanbul Technical University, 2014

Interior Architecture, Istanbul Technical University

Elif Aktaş Yanaş received her PhD (2025) and MSc (2014) in Architectural Design Computing from Istanbul Technical University, where she also completed her Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture in 2011. Her research lies at the intersection of design, empathy, and technology, focusing on how bodily and emotional processes shape both the creation and perception of architectural space. Bridging cognitive science, aesthetic theory, and computational design, she approaches architectural design not only as a visual task but also as an affective and embodied experience. She is particularly interested in the designer’s ability to sense the user before a single line is drawn—sometimes as an intuitive act, sometimes as a form of empathic simulation. Her work has been published in leading journals such as the International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation.