In urban and rural areas, Herkes için Mimarlık Derneği – HiM (Architecture for All Association) wants to contribute to the formation of an architecture field that works for and with society, by encouraging participatory mechanisms that are lacking in the design, planning and construction processes of projects. HiM has around 90 members and numerous volunteers which consist of architects, urban planners, interior and landscape designers, industrial designers and civil engineers.

HiM works on projects, workshops and research with the participation of people and communities concerned about the social issues around them. The main purpose of that participatory path is to convert how architecture is practiced. The intention is to be a platform for possible community changes, such as for architects to take more initiative on social issues, for students to be aware of this already at bachelor degree-level, for communities to involve themselves in the productions that interest them, and for non-architect professionals and volunteers to incorporate their knowledge and contributions. These intentions refer to the urge of “doing together”. A goal is to reveal everyone’s knowledge, interpretation and labour without hesitation, and to create new ways of mutual learning. These are all processes related to participation that need to be questioned and reformulated. HiM is trying to bring together all those who want to contribute, while not failing to answer to the requirements of the work.

The collective, though caring about long-term dialogues, frequent visits and production on-site, assumes itself as a guest on the field, an intermediate in the discussion. In order to break the ice in the discussions and to be able to build a bottom-up approach, HiM designs different instruments like a common table. Tools that form the basis of experiences of “doing together”. Even though the project is still in process, these tools help to bring people together to shape a collectivity and strengthen togetherness. The focus is to find ways for a non-hierarchical organization structure.

HiM is working on common places at different scales, from smaller to larger groups, such as the participatory transformation of a city park or a neighborhood, the conversion of an abandoned village school to a social center for women or young people, etc. In works that deal with larger user segments in urban areas, HiM intends to design processes and tools for creating public opinion and contribution to decision making mechanisms. While working with more focused groups, design and construction processes are shaping with that group.

Herkes için Mimarlık was organized as a legal independent association based in İstanbul, Turkey. But the association works nation-and worldwide. Members are responsible for conducting legal paperwork and take the responsibilities of managing the projects, workshops and research. Each of the participants in the projects take responsibilities according to the level of their wish, that way such participants later become members.

Current members of Herkes İçin Mimarlık are Hakan Kaçmaz, Hayrettin Günç, İbrahim Emre Gündoğdu, Mihriban Duman, Ahmet Erdem Tüzün, Ege Özgirin, Yelta Köm, Mehmet Sarper Takkeci, Beyza Derbentoğulları, Samim Magriso, Ayça Yontarım, Betül Alioğlu, Selin Şentürk, Ceren Kılıç, Okan Aydoğu, Hakan Gözlüklü, Ali Önalp, Elif Tan, Serkan Kurt, Ayşe Selin Gürel, Merve Gül Özokcu, Giray Çıvak, İdil Seren Yücel, Alican İnal, Erdem Üngür, Hasan Cenk Dereli, Erdi Özenses, Kübra Nur Baş, Merve Güzel, Yasemin Cennet Sünbül, Duygu Şensöz, Kerem Özcan, Oğuzhan Aydın, Burçak Sönmez, Elif Çak, Canan Erten, Kübra Saygın, Cansu Akarsu, Bilge Kobaş, Didem Sağlam, Begüm Büyükdağ, Beyza Boyacıoğlu, Beril Sezen, Tutku Sevinç, Didem Veryeri, Aslı Çalıkoğlu, Zeynep Hazar Arasan, Nilüfer Çalışkan, Deniz Gezgin, İrem Sönmez, Ayben Aydoğan, Can Tarık Keskin, İlke Zeyfeoğlu, Selin Erdemirci, Halidun Şenkal, Betül Karanfil Şenkal, Işık Gülkaynak, Deniz Paçacı, Sinan Tuncer, Tuncer Çağrı Çakmur, Ceren Bek, Kadriye Özdemir, Yağmur Kutlar, Altıner Yıldırım, Oğuzhan Çokgünlü, Dilara Kara, Mert Cığızoğlu, Selim Tanrıseven, Yuvacan Atmaca, Efecan Soysal, İrem Cansu Yıldız, Soner Bilgin, Şizen Türkal, Bihter Çelik, Afif Eymen Nalbant, Özge Zeynep Öcal, Mehmet Gören, Mina Öner, Anıl Tuhanioğlu, Turan Altıntaş, Emrah Mehmet Güllüoğlu, Ekin Güneş, Sıla Yılmaz, İdil Bayar, Zeynep Bâlâ Tunçer, Bengi Güldoğan, Hatice Kübra Öztürk, Setenay Kamazoğlu, Fırat Altundağ, Cansu Dinç, Melis Işıl Şimşek, Ercan Mutlu, Tayfun Parlak, Feyza Çınar, Serap Kaçmaz, Kubilay Ercelep, Ayşe Burcu Köknar, Ahmet Berk Hot, Hakan Ilıkoba, Görkem Geyik.