Erkin Özay

Erkin Özay serves as Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning. A registered architect in Massachusetts and Turkey, he is an award-winning educator specializing in urban design, housing challenges, and revitalization strategies for weak market cities.

His academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Architecture from Middle East Technical University and a Master in Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Prior to UB, he taught at Harvard GSD, University of Toronto, and Northeastern University, where he was an Aga Khan Fellow from 2011-2013.

Özay's research critically examines how urban institutions and interventions can mitigate structural inequities affecting vulnerable communities, notably through his book Urban Renewal and School Reform in Baltimore, which analyzes the displacement-driven East Baltimore Redevelopment Initiative. His teaching emphasizes exposing students to multifaceted urban practices beyond conventional models.

Professional recognition includes the AIA/ACSA Housing Design Education Award and participation in the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale exhibition on post-Katrina New Orleans housing. He has frequently spoken at AIA events on school design and community-based practice.

As a founding member of UB's Urban Design Research Group, Özay collaborates on advancing urban design methodologies. His professional practice includes work with Foster and Partners, Hashim Sarkis Studios, and Peter Rose and Partners, bridging academic research with real-world architectural solutions.