In the Trace of Water
TR

Istanbul Museum of Water Civilizations × Işık University · March – June 2026

Research

The workshop set two roles of AI side by side for the same spot in the museum: first an analyst that reads, then a generator that draws. This page explains the method, the concepts and how data turns into form, with diagrams.

Research question

At which stage of the design process does AI change the architectural outcome, and how?

Design question

Where, and how, does water want to exist in this space?

Water was treated not as a resource but as an actor that shapes space, carries memory and transforms experience.

1

Method: one spot, two routes

After a shared observation phase the route splits in two. Tap or click a step.

Process 1 · AI as analyst

Process 2 · AI as generator

Observation

12–14 March. Students searched the museum and its grounds for traces of water. Each concept needed at least 15 photographs, plus a 10-second video along a chosen route. This phase was fully analogue; the camera was the only tool.

Concepts

The students wrote the concept set themselves; no ready-made label list was used. Each student chose three concepts for their own project.

Design point

Each student chose a design point on their route. The photograph of this point is the shared input of both processes.

Model

Each concept became a class in Google Teachable Machine, and the students' own photographs became its training data. The published model has 30 classes, a 224-pixel input and 2.1 MB of weights, and runs directly in the browser.

Scoring

The route photograph runs through the model. It gives not one label but a probability for each of the thirty classes.

Proposal and form

The top three concepts go to a language model, which writes a one-sentence installation proposal for each. The wireframe geometry changes in proportion to the probabilities. The student uses this reading as a measured input, not as an answer.

Design sentence

Each student merged their three concepts into one design sentence. Template: “At the intersection of [Word 1] and [Word 2], [Word 3] becomes a spatial experience.”

Prompt and Gemini

The student uploaded the same route photograph to Gemini and wrote a prompt asking it to place an installation in the real space. No model training, no scores; only language.

Comparison

Each student submitted their three concepts, their prompt, the AI-generated images and their own proposal for the same spot. The closing discussion asked whether water can exist in a space without being seen, and where AI belongs in the design process.

2

The concept space

Thirty of the thirty-two concepts became classes in the model. Tap a concept to see which students chose it and how much weight the model gave it in the recorded readings.

Dot size shows the selected view. Dashed outline: not a class in the model.

Accessibility Erişilebilirlik

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
3.5%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Circulation Sirkülasyon

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
2%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Cleansing Arınma

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Continuity Süreklilik

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0.9%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Cycle Döngü

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Balance Denge

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
8.5%
Readings with it in the top three
7 / 12

Depth Derinlik

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Distribution Dağılım

Chosen by
Latifa Sadeeq
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Echoes of Water Suyun Yankıları

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Ecology Ekoloji

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Film and Art Film ve Sanat

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Flow Akış

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
8.4%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Mystery Gizem

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
2.1%
Readings with it in the top three
2 / 12

Glass Cam

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Healing İyileşme

Chosen by
Latifa Sadeeq
Class in the model
No

Heritage Miras

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
1.1%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Integration Bütünleşme

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Life Yaşam

Chosen by
Salavat Popov
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Mechanism Mekanizma

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Memory Hafıza

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Movement Hareket

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0.5%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Pressure Basınç

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
5%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Reflection Yansıma

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Regeneration Yenilenme

Chosen by
Latifa Sadeeq
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
1.9%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Repetition Tekrar

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0.7%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Rhythm Ritim

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0.2%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Route Rota

Chosen by
No student chose this as a project concept.
Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
13.4%
Readings with it in the top three
7 / 12

Segmentation Segmentasyon

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
1.1%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Water's Rest Suyun Dinlenmesi

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0%
Readings with it in the top three
0 / 12

Transparency Şeffaflık

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
0.9%
Readings with it in the top three
1 / 12

Unity Birlik

Class in the model
No

Trace İz

Class in the model
Yes
Average share in recorded readings (top five)
44%
Readings with it in the top three
11 / 12

Project concepts outside the set: Current (Berk Okay), Fluidity (Berk Okay)

3

From scores to form

The model's scores change the wireframe form. The concepts fall into four groups, and each group drives one property of the form. Pick a student's reading or move the groups yourself.

  • Stretches the lower half downward and adds helix lines around it.

    Flow, Continuity, Circulation, Movement, Route, Integration, Cycle, Regeneration, Life

  • Flattens and widens the form and makes the surface waves finer.

    Trace, Pressure, Mechanism, Segmentation, Distribution, Repetition, Rhythm

  • Slows the motion and reduces the deformation.

    Water's Rest, Balance, Ecology

  • Gives the form a regular pulse.

    Life, Rhythm, Repetition

This demo uses the rules written for the exhibition display; student readings are computed from the recorded top five concepts.

4

Chosen and read

For each student who completed Process 1: the three concepts they chose, and the model's top three readings of the same photograph. Shared concepts are highlighted.

  1. Amine Ouchkour

    • Heritage
    • Ecology
    • Memory
    • Balance 48%
    • Regeneration 23%
    • Trace 8%

    0

  2. Ayşe Nisa Alkılıç

    • Pressure
    • Water's Rest
    • Trace
    • Trace 99%
    • Mystery 0%
    • Route 0%

    1

  3. Berk Okay

    • Circulation
    • Current
    • Fluidity
    • Circulation 24%
    • Balance 22%
    • Trace 20%

    1

  4. Esma Sude Karakaya

    • Mechanism
    • Trace
    • Mystery
    • Trace 76%
    • Mystery 23%
    • Route 1%

    2

  5. Eylül Beste Özen

    • Cycle
    • Transparency
    • Accessibility
    • Pressure 60%
    • Heritage 13%
    • Transparency 8%

    1

  6. Hamza Ahmer Ansari

    • Repetition
    • Circulation
    • Flow
    • Trace 53%
    • Route 26%
    • Balance 7%

    0

  7. John Adhar Deng

    • Depth
    • Continuity
    • Pressure
    • Trace 63%
    • Balance 13%
    • Route 11%

    0

  8. Latifa Sadeeq

    • Healing
    • Distribution
    • Regeneration
    • Trace 46%
    • Accessibility 39%
    • Balance 4%

    0

  9. Mouad Benabdennbi

    • Unity
    • Continuity
    • Movement
    • Trace 63%
    • Route 16%
    • Segmentation 10%

    0

  10. Salavat Popov

    • Reflection
    • Life
    • Pressure
    • Route 87%
    • Trace 4%
    • Balance 3%

    0

  11. Samira Said Ali

    • Transparency
    • Flow
    • Reflection
    • Flow 98%
    • Route 1%
    • Trace 0%

    1

For 6 of 11 students, the student's choice and the model's top three share no concept.

5

Seven phases

The phases on a time line. Tap a phase.

Shared

Process 1 · AI as analyst

Process 2 · AI as generator

11 March 2026

01 Brief

The workshop guide was published and three phases were defined: observation and documentation, two design processes with AI, and comparison and discussion.

12–14 March 2026

02 Observation

Students searched the museum and its grounds for traces of water: architectural elements, surface materials, reflections of light, damp, sound, and images that represent water. Each concept needed at least 15 photographs, plus a 10-second video along a chosen route. This phase was fully analogue; the camera was the only tool.

March 2026 (date approximate)

03 Concept set

The students wrote the concept set themselves: thirty-two concepts, with no ready-made label list, all chosen by the group.

31 March – 2 April 2026

04 Process 2 · AI as generator

A bilingual prompt guide was handed out. Each student merged their three concepts into one design sentence, uploaded their route photo to Gemini and wrote a prompt asking it to place an installation in the real space.

12 April 2026

05 Model

Each concept became a class in Google Teachable Machine, and the students' own photographs became its training data. The result is a small image classifier that runs in the browser and scores any new photograph of the museum against the group's concepts.

19 May – 4 June 2026

06 Process 1 · AI as analyst

Students ran their route photos through the model. It scored every concept; the top three went to a language model, which wrote a one-sentence installation proposal for each, and a wireframe changed in proportion to the probabilities. Students used this reading as a measured input, not as an answer.

June 2026 (date approximate)

07 Compare and submit

Each student submitted their three concepts, their prompt, the AI-generated images and their own proposal for the same point on the route. The closing discussion asked whether water can exist in a space without being seen, and where AI belongs in the design process.

Process 2 ran before the model existed; the brief had planned the opposite order.