Doctoral researcher
Şan Yalçın Sarabil
Inclusive buildings for blind and low-vision people are the focus of my research in architecture and human-computer interaction.
Co-design, sensing and tactile prototypes help me explore how people navigate and experience buildings.
Hochschule Anhalt (Anhalt University of Applied Sciences), Germany
Doctoral Center for Architecture and Design Research
Research: inclusive architecture
Doctoral project
Void to Value
The Application of IoT and HCI in Crafting Inclusive Architectural Experiences
Orientation, safety and belonging are the aims of Void to Value. The project explores how Internet of Things technology and human-computer interaction can make architectural experiences more inclusive.
Research approaches
- Accessibility in buildings Mapping what architecture, accessibility and HCI research know about how blind and low-vision people use buildings — and where knowledge is missing.
- Co-design with blind adults Designing together through tactile materials, sound and conversation. The first workshop took place in Trabzon, Türkiye, in December 2025.
- Sensing and tactile prototypes Low-cost IoT and tactile prototypes that let buildings communicate, warn or guide, for testing in real rooms.
- Research through design Using prototypes, provocations and design artefacts to produce knowledge, with transparent reporting of the process.
Publications
- Models for Positioning Public Spaces in the Metaverse. 2024. Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design and Planning 2 (2), 64 to 76. doi:10.26650/JTADP.24.008
Talks
- Void to Value: an IoT-based architecture for visually impaired people. Three-minute pitch, European Doctoral Day, 13 May 2026.
Background & collaborators
Architecture & HCI
Architecture is my foundation: a Bachelor's and Master's at Yeditepe University, Istanbul, where I also taught as a teaching assistant. Since 2024, I have researched human-computer interaction as a doctoral researcher in the Department of Computer Science and Languages at Hochschule Anhalt.
Research funding
InterGrad-EGD supports my doctoral project through its programme for universities of applied sciences in Saxony-Anhalt, in the context of the European Green Deal. Funding comes from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Supervisors
Prof. Dr. Arne Berger (Hochschule Anhalt, Germany) and Prof. Dr. Filiz Tavşan (Karadeniz Technical University, Türkiye).
Contact
LinkedIn sansarabil
Profiles InterGrad-EGDHochschule AnhaltKaradeniz Technical University
Post Hochschule Anhalt, Bernburger Straße 55, 06366 Köthen, Germany