Join Change by Design Samandağ 2026!

Exploring Living Heritage in Post-Disaster Recovery: Applications Now Open

Applications are now open for ASF-UK’s upcoming Change by Design workshop in Samandağ, Hatay, Türkiye—part of ASF-UK’s flagship series exploring design, participation, and spatial justice in contexts of crisis and change.

This edition, Change by Design Samandağ 2026 – Living Heritage in Post-Disaster Recovery, will focus on collectively reimagining and repairing the living heritage of Samandağ—a town deeply affected by the 2023 earthquakes that struck the region between Türkiye and Syria, and now facing mass displacement, top-down reconstruction, and ecological challenges.

Organised by ASF-UK in partnership with Samandağ Municipality, Hatay Earthquake Solidarity (Samandağ Branch), and a network of academic and civil society partners, the workshop continues ASF-UK’s long-term engagement in community-led post-disaster recovery across the Hatay region.

Participants will join a multidisciplinary team of architects, planners, designers, social scientists, activists and artists to explore how post-disaster recovery can become a pathway to social and environmental justice. Through a living heritage lens, the team will document and visualise ongoing transformations, propose strategies and co-develop advocacy tools for a more just and resilient recovery.

The programme includes a one-day online symposium (13 March 2026) followed by a week-long residential workshop in Samandağ (13–18 April 2026).

Why Join

• Gain hands-on experience in community-led recovery and spatial research
• Collaborate with local actors, authorities and international networks
• Develop skills in action research, social design and heritage documentation
• Contribute directly to the repair of Samandağ’s cultural and ecological heritage
• Earn professional development credit through ASF-International’s Challenging Practice course

Places are limited to 25, with a small number of bursaries planned for participants based in earthquake-affected regions.