BUILDING BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY INSTITUTE TURKEY
BACKGROUND
Building biology notion that precedes and paves the way for ecological architecture, has been institutionalized by Hubert Palm in Germany, in the years of 1960’s. His book named “Healthy home / Das Gesunde” is one of the essential works of building biology field.
Architectural movements and organizations have been developed initially in the south part of Germany in 1970’s. The first institutions in the region: B.A.U (Architecture & Environment Association) and BAB (Building Biology & Architecture Association) spearheaded today’s IBN (German Building Biology & Ecology Institute). In the leadership of IBN, building biology institutes’ network has been globalized and YBE (Building Biology & Ecology Institute Turkey) became one of the partners.
ABOUT IBN (GERMAN BUIDING BIOLOGY INSTITUTE)
IBN reached its present position by means of the following organizations:
Healthy Building & Living Working Group* (1969-1976),
Building Biology Institute**
(1976-1983) and Neubeuern Building Biology & Ecology Institute*** (1983-2014).
The founder of these institutes Prof. Anton Schneider, had followed closely and directed the work of IBN as the honorary consultant. Following the developments in the use of terminologies, IBN changed its name to Building Biology & Sustainability Institute in 2014. The same year IBN also moved to its exemplary building in Rosenheim. Adopting an impartial and holistic approach to the counseling and education of the relationships among building-human-environment, IBN is an independent institution.
HOW BUILDING BIOLOGY DEVELOPED IN TURKEY
Studies in Turkey on building biology have been first initiated by And Akman in 1989. The same year, And Akman laid the foundations of the relationships with İBN when he started his doctoral thesis. After being graduated from İBN’s educational program as ‘Building Biologist’ in 1992, And Akman started his doctoral thesis, which was defined as the first doctoral thesis on building biology in the world by Prof. Anton Schneider, the founder president of İBN.
And Akman’s first work on this field in Turkey was the bioclimatic analysis of kindergartens in Istanbul Technical University, Maslak Campus. The analysis, looking into the effects of the two kindergarten buildings (one from adobe, the other one from concrete and nearby to each other) on the health of children, became an international reference. And Akman continued bioclimatic analysis in Turkey with Atlıkarınca Kindergarten and mostly concentrated on ‘the compatibility of local architecture with human health analysis’.
Continuing actively his work and consultancy on building biology, And Akman has accumulated his knowhow while working for 19 years together with Willibald Rapp in Germany. Within this period he realized 700 bioclimatic building analysis’ measurements and reports. Having the idea of initiating Building Biology & Ecology Institute in Turkey, Akman has concentrated his international endeavors in this direction since 2007 and decided to take officials steps for its implementation 2014 onwards.
MANAGEMENT TEAM

And Akman continues his academic and architectural works on building biology and ecology since 1990. He started his professional education in 1981 at Mimar Sinan University, then carried on in New York University and Institut für Baubiologie + Ökologie. He realized worldwide ecological architecture projects and building applications in the Office of Lichtblick Architecture for 17 years, then he returned to Turkey in 2007 and become a founding partner of eds-a architecture where he continues his international architecture projects and applications. Through 2012-2014, he is one of the consulting specialists to the UN project: 'Promoting Energy Efficiency in Buildings in Turkey'. He spearheaded the start of modern earthen architecture project class in Selçuk University in 2014 and continued his lectures there for 2,5 years. He initiated Building Biology elective class, and gave lectures on this subject at MEF University in between 2016-2017, for two semesters. Since 2017, he continues his lectures in sustainable architecture studio at İzmir Economy University. He is doing various trainings and workshops on ecological materials and construction methodologies and participates as guest speaker in several conferences in this field. His articles and papers on building biology and ecology have been issued in national and international publications. Meanwhile, relying on his long standing relationships with IBN, he co-founded Building Biology and Ecology Institute Turkey- YBE in 2015. Since then, as the director of YBE, he is actively carrying out his responsibilities.

Being graduated from Koç University Economy department, she worked in Turkey for nearly 8 years in pioneering enterprises (some were: dDf, Bilsar, Titiz, İstanbul Modern) on design, communication, process, event management before setting about her own endeavors. In parallel to her work experience in design and communication she attended in between 2001-2004 to ‘Design Management Certificate Program’ and ‘Visual Communication Master Program’ in Bilgi University. Especially 2008 onwards she has followed closely international sustainability agenda and organized the first international Eco-design Meeting in Turkey in İTÜ Taşkışla building, including two conferences and 2 parallel exhibitions that lasted two weeks on May 2009. Her experience and network has been solidified in the master program of Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability (MSLS) where she had the opportunity to work in a multicultural environment with sustainability enthusiasts and being included to an international sustainability expert network. MSLS has been founded by sustainability visionaries in Blekinge Institute of Technology- Sweden about ten years ago and it is still one of the pioneering master program in Europe with its holistic and innovative approach to sustainability together with education. As 2011 she works in the fields of corporate, local development, communication and event management with sustainability focus.
ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Horst Schröder
Founder / German Adobe Association
Dr. Siegfried Camana
Building Biologist / Architect
Willibald Rapp
Building Biologist / Architect
Winfried Schneider
Administrator / Building Biology & Sustainability Institute Germany