Academic Experience
Oğuz Orkun Doma is an architect and academic with a Ph.D. in Architectural Design Computing from Istanbul Technical University. He currently teaches at Bahcesehir University’s Digital Game Design undergraduate program and Istanbul Technical University’s Game and Interaction Technologies graduate program as a part-time lecturer.
Previously, he worked as a Research Assistant at both Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Architecture (2014-2021), and Bahcesehir University Faculty of Architecture and Design (2012-2014). His professional trajectory includes pivotal roles as a Level Designer at Crytek Istanbul, Project Manager at AKSTEK AR/VR Training Technologies, and presently, as XR Projects Manager at Neo Auvra Digital Health Technologies.
His PhD dissertation, titled DREAMSCAPE: Use of Virtual Reality in Architectural Design & Education, explores the intersection of architectural design and virtual reality. As part of the research, he developed an experimental VR design tool, Dreamscape Bricks VR, using Unreal Engine.
With a background spanning architectural design, game design and development, and VR technologies, Doma integrates practical industry insights into his academic teachings, fostering a well-rounded and future-forward educational experience.
Active Courses
GAD2014 Serious Games
BAU Digital Game Design · undergraduate course
2022-2023 spring · thursday 13:30-16:20
GAD2014 Serious Games course provides a foundation in instructional and game design, game mechanics, and game development principles for design and development of serious and learning games.
Check out the Midterm Assignment tutorial video for
Basic Plant Growing Gameplay in Unreal Engine 5.1:
Final Assignment
Design and develop a serious game prototype that combines entertainment and education in an immersive and interactive experience, using Unreal Engine 5. The objective is to create an immersive and interactive experience that effectively combines entertainment and education, capturing the players’ attention and motivating them to learn while having fun.
Midterm Assignment
Implement an interactive plant growth system in your amateur gardening corner created in Assignment II, using Unreal Engine 5. Your goal is to design a simple gameplay loop where the player plants seeds, waters the plants, and observes their growth, all while managing the plants’ health and growth through different stages.
Assignment II - Amateur Gardening Corner: Basic Level Design
Create an amateur gardening corner using Quixel Megascans assets in Unreal Engine 5. Your goal is to design an immersive and visually appealing environment with designated interaction locations for planting seeds and watering plants to help them grow.
Assignment I - Analyze A Serious Game
Choose a serious game and analyze and evaluate its design and elements using a framework that covers various aspects of game design, gameplay, and edutainment. This assignment aims to develop your critical thinking and evaluation skills and enhance your understanding of serious games and their potential applications.
GAM509E Visualization in Virtual Reality
ITU GAME AND INTERACTION TECHNOLOGIES · graduate course
2022-2023 spring · thursday 09:30-12:30
GAM509E Visualization in Virtual Reality course introduces immersive VR and visualization technologies, with a focus on creating 3D visualizations and gamified experiences, and designing for better user experience in VR. Through hands-on projects and assignments, students learn to create interactive environments and game levels in video game engines, and design basic 3D simulations in Virtual Reality.
Midterm & Final Project
In this joint assignment for the midterm and final project, you will combine your skills in level design, gameplay programming, and high-level game design to create a proof-of-concept architectural visualization or furniture assembly simulation in an interior environment. This project will showcase the learning outcomes of this course.
Assignment II.2 - High-Level Design of Your Game
Conceptualize a survival game based on the level and basic gameplay you have created in the previous assignments. The game should have a playtime of 2-4 hours and be designed as a proof-of-concept prototype.
Assignment II.1 - Basic Gameplay Programming
Implement a basic 3rd person gameplay on the level designed in Assignment I in Unreal Engine 5. Players must collect pieces of wood from the beach and light a fire in 60 seconds in order to survive. A counter UI must show the number of woods collected. Bringing 5 pieces of wood to the campfire site will light the fire.
Assignment I - Tropical Island Level
Create a level design for a deserted tropical island using Unreal Engine 5. Your goal is to design an immersive and visually stunning environment with designated interaction locations for collecting wood and lighting a campfire.
Instructed Courses and Trainings
GAD2014 Serious Games
BAU Digital Game Design · undergraduate course
2022-2023 spring · thursday 13:30-16:20
GAD2014 Serious Games course provides a foundation in instructional and game design, game mechanics, and game development principles for design and development of serious and learning games. In this course, students will learn how to create engaging, interactive gamified learning experiences through the development of serious games.
GAM509E Visualization in Virtual Reality
ITU Game and Interaction Technologies · graduate
2022-2023 spring · thursday 09:30-12:30
GAD509E Visualization in Virtual Reality course introduces immersive VR and visualization technologies, with a focus on creating 3D visualizations and gamified experiences, and designing for better user experience in VR. Through hands-on projects and assignments, students learn to create interactive environments and game levels in video game engines, and design basic 3D simulations in Virtual Reality.
Component-Based Living Units Workshop
ITU School of Architecture · Foundation Studio Workshops
April 19-22, 2021 · undergraduate student workshop
The “Component-Based Living Units” workshop encouraged first-year architecture, interior architecture, and industrial design students to explore modular architectural thinking and production with LEGO® bricks in CAD.
The DREAMSCAPE workshops
ITU Faculty of Architecture · graduate
December 2019 – August 2021
The DREAMSCAPE workshops were designed as experiments for the DREAMSCAPE PhD project, investigating the impact of VR on architectural design and education by comparing the design process in physical and immersive VR environments.
COP4454 – Introduction to Game Development with CRYENGINE
BAU / BUG Game Lab / Crytek Istanbul · CO-OP Course
2017-2018 fall · thursday 08:30-11:30
The course offers students the opportunity to learn about video game engine and virtual reality technologies, and develop skills in level design and creating interactive environments and game levels. Students will become intermediate/upper-intermediate CRYENGINE users and learn to design for better user experience in virtual reality.
COOP4454 – Introduction to Game Development with CRYENGINE
BAU / BUG Game Lab / Crytek Istanbul · CO-OP Course
2016-2017 fall · thursday 09:30-12:30
Students have the chance to acquire knowledge of video game engine and enhance their skills in level design and creating interactive environments and game levels through the course. They will achieve intermediate/upper-intermediate level in using CRYENGINE and learn to develop and implement various game mechanics, such as character control, AI behaviors, and physics systems.
Introduction to Level Design with CRYENGINE V: Your First VR Level
ATOM – ODTÜ TEKNOKENT · workshop
September 3-6, 2016 · Middle East Technical Universtiy Technopolis
This hands-on workshop at METU Technopolis’ ATOM lab offered a crash course in VR level design using CRYENGINE V. Led by us from Crytek Istanbul as industry professionals, participants gained practical experience and insights into creating immersive VR levels, resulting in their own functional VR game level by the end of the workshop.
Video Games & Digital Narratives:
A Quick Introduction
ITU School of Architecture · Foundation Studio Art Workshops
November 9-12, 2015 · undergraduate student workshop
This ITU Foundation Studio workshop introduced first-year architecture students to video game design and digital narratives. Students initially applied basic level design principles using Portal 2’s Puzzle Creator, then advanced to creating levels with CryEngine 3, utilizing its Flowgraph for visual scripting. This foundational experience sparked careers in game development for some participants.
Invited Talks and Seminars
Exploring Cultural Heritage Through Spatio-Temporal Narratives in Immersive Virtual Environments
June 17, 2023 · Seminar
Digitalization of Cultural Heritage
ITU Faculty of Architecture and FADU Udelar of Uruguay/PLEXO, Istanbul
Metaverse and Architecture: Creating and Designing in Virtual Spaces
March 28, 2023 · Invited Speaker
ALKÜ Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Antalya (online)
Digital Dreamscapes and Architectural Design in the Metaverse
July 13, 2022 · Invited Speaker
Metametrik | Wednesday Meetings #100, Istanbul (online) | video link
Design in the Metaverse: Productivity and Creativity in the Virtual Future of the Real World
May 10, 2022 · Invited Speaker
Piri Reis University, Istanbul (online)
Towards Metaverse Architecture: Architectural Design and Experience in Digital Realities
March 19, 2022 · Invited Speaker
Kocaeli MITAB 2022 II. Architecture and Design Meetings: Different Reality, Kocaeli
Game and Space in Mixed Reality | VRDays Europe ’21
November 14, 2021 · Seminar
VRDays Europe | Immersive Tech Week Istanbul, Istanbul
As a Changing and Transforming Reality: Virtual Reality
October 14, 2020 · Invited Speaker
Arkitera, Turkey (online) | video link
International Children and Information Security Congress: Digital Games
April 12, 2018 · Invited Speaker | Presentation titled “Digital Games as Youth Development Spaces”
Ministry of Family and Social Policies, Ministry of National Education, BTK, Ankara | video link
GETEK ’17 – Technology and Innovative Thought | Istanbul University IEEE Student Branch
November 29, 2017 · Invited Speaker
Istanbul University, Istanbul
Digital Games and Their Use in Education
November 20, 2017 · Webinar
eTwining Turkey, Webinar, Ministry of National Education, Education Informatics Network (EBA, online) | video link
International Children and Information Security Events
October 10, 2017 · Expert Participant, “Digital Games in Education” workshop
Ministry of Family and Social Policies, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports, BTK, Ankara
12th ILTEK Days | Yıldız Technical University IEEE Student Branch
March 30, 2017 · Invited Speaker, “Virtual Reality” panel
Yıldız Tecnnical University, Istanbul
Courses Taught as a Research Assistant at ITU Faculty of Architecture
TES 121e Project II
- Spring 2018-2019
- Spring 2017-2018
- Spring 2016-2017
- Spring 2015-2016
TES 111e Project I
- Fall 2018-2019
- Fall 2017-2018
- Fall 2016-2017
- Fall 2015-2016
TES 112e Visual Communication I
- Spring 2018-2019
- Spring 2017-2018
- Spring 2016-2017
- Spring 2015-2016
TES 112e Visual Communication I
- Fall 2018-2019
- Fall 2017-2018
- Fall 2016-2017
- Fall 2015-2016
MIM 4902e Diploma Project
- Fall 2020-2021
MIM 492e Architectural Design VIII: Graduation Project
- Fall 2019-2020
- Spring 2018-2019
- Spring 2017-2018
- Spring 2016-2017
- Spring 2015-2016
MIM 492 Mimari Proje VIII: Bitirme Projesi
- Fall 2018-2019
- Fall 2016-2017
- Fall 2015-2016
- Spring 2014-2015
MIM 411e Architectural Design VII
- Fall 2020-2021
- Spring 2019-2020
- Fall 2019-2020
- Spring 2014-2015
MIM 312e Architectural Design VI
- Spring 2019-2020
- Fall 2019-2020
MIM 312 Mimari Proje VI
- Spring 2020-2021
SBP 115e Principles of Architectural Design
- Spring 2014-2015
Academic Administrative Experience at ITU Faculty of Architecture
Research Assistant Faculty Board Representative
Administrative Role, ITU Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture | 2015 – 2016, 2017 – 2018
ITU 2019 Admission and Publicity Days
Institutional Promotion, Faculty Representative R.A., ITU Faculty of Architecture, Taşkışla Campus | 2019
Taşkışla Graduation Ceremony Organization Commission
Organization Committee Member, ITU Faculty of Architecture | 2015 – 2018
Department of Architecture Website Committee
Web Design and Development, ITU Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture | 2016 – 2021
ITU Taşkışla Student Works A3 Exhibition Commission
Student Exhibition Committee Member, ITU Faculty of Architecture | 2015 – 2018
2014 NAAB Accreditation Exhibition Organization Commission
Institutional Promotion, ITU Faculty of Architecture | 2014 – 2015
Courses Assisted as a T.A. at BAU Faculty of Architecture and Design
ARC1001 Basic Design
- Spring 2013-2014
- Fall 2013-2014
- Fall 2012-2013
- Spring 2011-2012
ARC1002 Design Studies
- Spring 2011-2012
ARC1021 Introduction to Architectural Culture
- Fall 2012-2013
ARC2001 Architectural Design I
- Spring 2013-2014
ARCH2040 Strength of Materials
- Spring 2011-2012
ARC4002 Degree Project Design
- Fall 2013-2014
ARC4021 Contemporary Turkish Architecture
- Fall 2012-2013
INAR1001 Basic Design
- Spring 2011-2012