Mehmet Soğukoğlu

Architect · PhD in Building Physics

Mehmet Soğukoğlu

Lighting, daylight and energy performance for new, existing and historic buildings.

I research how luminaire layout, light distribution and control strategy decide how much energy a building needs to give every occupant good light. I also bring nine years of heritage and permitting practice in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district.

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Where should the light go?

  • Ēm 500 lx
  • U₀ 0.60
  • UGRL 19
  • Ra 80
Illustrative point-source calculation for a 24-desk open-plan office on a 0.75 m working plane; luminaire positions follow the desk layout. The chips show the EN 12464-1 targets for writing, typing and reading. This sketch is not study data; the study's results are in the Megaron paper below.
Portrait of Mehmet Soğukoğlu

About

Research and practice in the same building stock

I completed my PhD in Building Physics at Yıldız Technical University in 2024, after a master's thesis on improving energy efficiency in existing buildings.

Since 2017 I have worked at Beyoğlu Municipality, first reviewing architectural and restoration projects for building permits and, since 2020, as a heritage conservation expert and building inspector. Working with restoration projects every day shows me what can realistically change in an old building, and that shapes the questions I ask as a researcher.

PhD
Building Physics, Yıldız Technical University, 2024
Practice
Beyoğlu Municipality, Istanbul, since 2017
Teaching
Biruni University, 2024–25
Languages
Turkish · English (IELTS 7.5) · Japanese (JLPT N3)

Research

Three connected lines of work

Doctoral research · 2015–2024

Lighting layout as an energy decision

Efficient office lighting is usually discussed in terms of lamp efficacy, luminaire efficiency and controls. My thesis studied a factor that gets less attention: how luminaire layout, light distribution and furniture layout together set the luminous flux needed to meet EN 12464-1 for every occupant.

24
occupants in an open-plan office
19
luminaires with different light distributions
3
lighting types: direct, semi-direct, direct-indirect
38
layout configurations compared

For every luminaire tested, four-desk clusters needed less luminous flux than two-desk rows.

In progress

Lighting controls in open-plan offices

I am now studying how occupancy- and daylight-based control strategies change lighting energy use in open-plan offices, building on the layouts developed in the thesis.

Next

Existing and historic buildings

The next step brings these methods to existing and historic buildings, where ceilings, façades and conservation rules limit what can change. The aim is better light and lower energy use that keep heritage value intact.

Publications

Publications and theses

  1. Journal article · 2024

    Soğukoğlu, M., & Dokuzer Öztürk, L. Examination of the impact of lighting layout on energy efficiency in the case of open plan office. Megaron, 19(1), 27–37. doi.org/10.14744/megaron.2024.99896

  2. In preparation

    Occupancy- and daylight-based lighting control strategies for energy-efficient open-plan offices (working title).

  3. PhD thesis · 2024

    An Approach to Evaluate the Impact of Lighting Layout on Energy Efficiency in Open Plan Offices. Yıldız Technical University. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Leyla Dokuzer Öztürk.

  4. Master's thesis · 2015

    Architectural Design Proposals for Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings. İstanbul Aydın University.

ORCID 0000-0002-5213-7653

Teaching

Teaching

Environmental Control in Interior Spaces · Biruni University, Department of Interior Architecture · Fall 2024–25

Interior lighting design with DIALux EVO, and how to check a design against visual-comfort requirements.

Expertise

Areas of expertise

Lighting design and visual comfort

Layouts that meet EN 12464-1 at every workstation; illuminance, uniformity and glare checks in DIALux EVO.

Lighting energy efficiency

Luminaire selection and positioning for the lowest installed flux; occupancy- and daylight-based controls.

Building energy performance

DesignBuilder / EnergyPlus simulation to compare design and retrofit options.

Existing and historic buildings

Improvements that respect conservation constraints, informed by daily work on restoration permits and inspections.

Training and workshops

DIALux EVO and interior lighting design for students and practitioners.

Research and writing

Simulation studies, literature reviews and peer-reviewed writing in English and Turkish.

Ways to work together

  • Research collaborations
  • Invited talks and guest lectures
  • DIALux EVO workshops
  • Expert input and peer review

Insights

Notes on light and energy

Short articles and DIALux EVO tutorials are on the way. The first article, Furniture layout is an energy decision, explains in plain language what the thesis found and what it means for office designers.

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Contact

Get in touch

For research collaborations, academic positions, talks and workshops, email me.

LinkedIn ORCID