Zoya Akbari
Interior Architecture Design
Design Statement: Design shapes how people experience, understand, and connect with the world around them. This approach is grounded in human-centered thinking, combining spatial awareness, emotional sensitivity, and concept development to create meaningful experiences rather than purely aesthetic outcomes. I am interested in translating complex ideas into environments that feel clear, intentional, and emotionally engaging. The focus is on Collaboration, empathy, and critical thinking are central to this process, to approach each project to balance creativity with practicality. Rather than following trends, this design approach responds thoughtfully to people, context, and purpose. The aim is to create experiences that function effectively while leaving a lasting emotional and meaningful impact on those who interact with them.
Project Overview: This project explores the long-term emotional and social effects of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, particularly the loss of stability, privacy, and community experienced during disaster recovery and temporary shelter conditions. By reinterpreting Atlantis The Royal as a therapeutic residential environment, the design shifts the focus from short-term survival to long-term healing and collective living. The spatial approach combines structural safety with emotional comfort through interconnected residential clusters, calming circulation pathways, and open community areas that encourage interaction, support, and shared learning. Sensory wellness gardens, therapy rooms for children and adults, quiet reflection areas, a community kitchen, workshops, and living spaces are integrated throughout the design. Together, these elements create an environment that nurtures resilience, psychological wellbeing, and a renewed sense of belonging.
