Osman Ural - Portfolio by Osman Ural

O U

A A

N L

Q U I C K

O V E R V I E W

Born on 12/06/1988 (33 years old) American + Turkish (Dual) Citizen Fluent in English and Turkish, Intermediate in Dutch, Beginner in Spanish osman.ural.m@gmail.com +31 (0)6 43 73 82 54 +90 542 207 56 11 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 - 5

C U R R I C U L U M

V I T A E

A n o v e r v i e w o f m y a r c h i t e c t u r a l c a r e e r f o r t h e p a s t d e c a d e .

10-81

P R O F E S S I O N A L

P R O J E C T S

A s e l e c t i o n o f v a r i o u s w o r k s a n d c o m p e t i t i o n s f r o m my vast experience as an architect + urban designer.

82-153

P E R S O N A L

P R O J E C T S

A c o l l e c t i o n o f m y m o r e r e c e n t w o r k s a n d designs that I have personally produced.

154-155

A D D I T I O N A L

M A T E R I A L S

More information regarding my workflow when designing projects, as well as a quick biography. 3

OSMAN URAL - CV Address: Email: LinkedIn: Phone: Passports: Languages:

Waterloolaan 1-60, 9725BE Groningen, The Netherlands osman.ural.m@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/osmanural/ +31 (0)6 43 73 82 54 U.S.A + Turkey Bilingual in English & Turkish, Intermediate in Dutch, Basic Spanish

A C A D E M I C

Emre Arolat Architects (EAA)

Technische Universiteit Delft MSc in Urbanism Delft, The Netherlands 08/2017 to 08/2019

Istanbul, Turkey - 08/2011 to 05/2012

Junior Architect

University of North Carolina at Charlotte BA in Architecture Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A 08/2006 to 05/2011

At my first job as an architect, I solved design problems for multiple projects using Skechup and AutoCAD. While gaining valuable experience with all the workings involved in a large office, I also participated in various design charrettes and projects. I built and detailed 3D models for various projects, ranging from a mall, to a mosque, while having daily exposure to one of Turkey’s most prominent architects.

W O R K

A W A R D S

De Zwarte Hond - Urban Designer Groningen, The Netherlands - Since 03/2020

12/2019 - Harlem, New York Archue Urban Housing Challenge -Honorable Mention-

My role at the office involves developing proposals for urban scale interventions that implement a research based design process. Historical, contextual, and socio-spatial factors are analyized to generate site specific solutions that strengthen the areas they are located in. This helps clients work with local municipalities to create solutions for all stakeholders involved. I have developed and win urban regeneration projects in Almere (Verzetswijk), Assen (Forum Noord), Amsterdam (Amstel III), and Nijmegen (Keizer Karelplein). Jvantspijker and Partners - Designer and 3D Specialist Rotterdam, The Netherlands - 08/2019 to 03/2020

09/2015 - Istanbul, Turkey Beylikdüzü Valley of Life Bridge Design -3rd Place07/2015 - Istanbul, Turkey Maltepe Gülsuyu Alevi Complex -Honorable Mention09/2014 - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Bishkek 2040 Strategic Masterplan -Honorable Mention10/2014 - Malatya, Turkey Mehmet Kavuk Mosque Competition -3rd Place07/2014 - Gökceada Island, Turkey Gökçeada High School Campus Masterplan -3rd Place12/2013 - Izmir, Turkey İzmir Development Agency Headquarters -1st Place-

My duties involved desiging buildings and masterplans. The main project I worked on was the technical design phase of a highrise apartment in Binckhorst, Den Haag. My masterplan experience involved both a competition project located in Den Bosch, and a tender proposal for a harbor area in Reykjavik. I also developed the office’s sketchup standardization practices and library of components and plugins.

04/2013 - Lüleburgaz, Turkey Lüleburgaz Bus Station Terminal -3rd Place-

ABOUTBLANK Architecture and Urban Design Project Director / Architect Istanbul, Turkey - 05/2012 to 05/2017

I N T L .

During my time here, I lead and managed many design projects and competitions. My work involved creating architectural concepts at a variety of ranges and scale. I generated high detail 3d models, and rendered them using Cinema 4D + V-Ray. I produced plans and sections for buildings in AutoCAD. I prepared animations for client presentations using both Lumion and Premiere Pro. I also compiled diagrams and exploded axonometrics using Sketchup and Illustrator.

03/2013 - Uşak, Turkey Uşak Municipal Services Building -Honorable Mention06/2012 - Uşak, Turkey Uşak İsmetpaşa Street Design -Honorable Mention-

E X P E R I E N C E

W O R K S H O P S

E X H I B I T I O N S

Infrastructure Ecologies and Forms of Life

Port City Futures BK Expo at TU Delft

IUAV University of Venice

Delft, The Netherlands - 05/2018

Venice, Italy - 05/2018 This workshop was part of the Extensive Program ‘The Port

This was part of a workshop that showed the past of harbor-city relations and imagined their possible futures,

and the Fall of Icarus’ of the Dutch Pavilion in the 16th Inter-

which were based on intensive cooperation between

national Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2018

the port and the city of Rotterdam. My reserach group’s

– ‘Free space’. The program, curated by Hamed Khosravi,

proposal for the regeneration of a section of the Port

Taneha K. Bacchin and Filippo laFleur, allowed us to research

of Rotterdam in Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) was select-

and design a project based on the topic of logistics and their

ed to be displayed in the closing exhibition of the event.

architectural, territorial, social, and political implications.

“Open-Source Architecture: Open-Cube” 2nd Int. Antalya Architecture Biennale

Sarajevo Green Design Biennale

Antalya, Turkey - 09/2013

National Gallery of B&H Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - 10/2015

This biennale dealt with accelerating technological developments that create a major force behind global-

The aim of this biennale was to capture trends and real-

ization, causing radical transformations in all spheres

izations of innovative sustainable solutions and investi-

of life. This was ABOUTBLANK’s first open-source ar-

gate their further evolution. It was a five day lecture series, with our presentation displaying how ABOUTBLANK attempts

create

projects

that

are

sustainable

not only in form and structure, but with use as well.

chitecture experiment that allowed users to activate cubes according to their needs and desires, and in doing so defying the logic of predetermined functions. “Fabrika” Exhibition Milli Reasürans Art Gallery

Skopje Architecture Week - Supercity 2.0

Istanbul, Turkey - 02/2011

The Macedonian National Opera and Ballet Skopje, North Macedonia - 08/2012

This exhibition gave a look into the design of the İpekyol Textile Factory. The architect, Emre Arolat, was award-

The theme of this festival centered around connective patterns that prove knowledge is inseparable from action in urban discourse. The lecture series featured practices from around the world, which included Kengo Kuma,

ed the Aga Khan Award in 2010 for it because it uses a spatial strategy that integrates both production goals and the well-being of its employees. I was responsible for making a detailed 3D model of the factory, which was originally supposed to be for an animation. However, I

Enota, Nuno Brandão Costa, and ABOUTBLANK. Current

had made the model so detailed that Mr. Arolat decided

political issues with architecture in the region were dis-

to have the entire model be put on display so that it can

cussed, and the role of ecology in design was also debated.

be readily explorable for all the visitors of the exhibition.

T E C H N I C A L

E X P E R T I S E

SketchUp

Urban Planning

Photoshop

Infrastructure

Indesign

Office Architecture

Lumion

Religious Architecture

AutoCAD

Residential Architecture

Cinema 4D + V-Ray Illustrator Premiere Pro Revit Rhinoceros Grasshopper MS Office GIS

R E F E R E N C E S (Please let me know in advance, before contacting) Nynke Jutten - Senior Stedenbouwkundige at DZH +31 6 24881361 - jutten@dezwartehond.nl Orri Steinarsson - Partner at Jvantspijker & Partners +31 6 36255470 - orri@jvantspijker.com

P R O F E S S I O N A L

1 2

ALMERE PARKWIJK INTERVENTION -------------------------------

S İ V A S P A R K B R I D G E -------------------------------

URBANISM

ARCHITECTURE

3 4

B A N D I R M A C U L T U R A L P A R K -------------------------------

M A L T E P E C E M E V İ -------------------------------

URBANISM

ARCHITECTURE

5 6

P O R T O M A R G H E R A S T A T I O N -------------------------------

BİGADİÇ MUNICIPALITY BUILDING -------------------------------

URBANISM

ARCHITECTURE

7 8

V O O R H O F M A S T E R P L A N

-------------------------------

SÜLEYMANPAŞA MUNICIPALITY BUILDING -------------------------------

URBANISM

ARCHITECTURE

A L M E R E P A R K W I J K I N T E R V E N T I O N

L o c a t i o n : A l m e r e , P r o j e c t T e a m : N y n k e

T h e N e t h e r l a n d s J u t t e n , O s m a n U r a l

R o l e / C o n t r i b u t i o n Lead designer with supervising senior urban planner. Responsible for the overall masterplan conceptualization development. I also was primarily responsible for 3D modeling, rendering, and design. I even developed the plans, sections, elevations, and diagrams.

P U Z Z E L P A R K + W I J K

The city of Almere aims to be a vital community with a rich variety of living and working options, in a beneficial abundance of space, water, nature and cultural landscapes that can grow and change over time. To achieve these goals, the city developed a consistent design philosophy / vision called The Almere Principles, which were created to be a set of inspiring guidelines that help stakeholders transform Almere into a sustainable and circular city within the coming decades. Under these ambitions, the client asked De Zwarte Hond to design a propsal to redevelop an underused office park around the Parkwijk station - a transit hub within a suburban neighborhood. The following project attemts to create a higher density and diversity of functions, while also preserving the structure of existing buildings to create a sustainable new heart of the neighborhood. 13

Roads and Canals Create Boundaries Between Neighborhoods

Looking at the macro scale, the project area is centrally located between two neighborhoods (Verzetswijk and Parkwijk), with good a train station at the corner of the site, making it well connected to the regional public transportation network. All site edges encounter a different character and situation. They are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4.

A Train Station and the Railway A Canal and it’s Green Space A Residential Street Framed by Row Housing A Street that Divides the Site in Two 16

Green Spaces Used as Bufferzones Between Infrastructure and Living Areas.

Predominant Structure of the Urban Fabric has an East-West Direction.

To better understand the functionality and characteristics that define the site, its position within the two neighborhoods should be analysed in different layers. Doing so will allow us to better see various relationships between the site and its context, regarding issues such as connectivity, spatial quality, urban fabric and form, and infrastructural elements that all help define the overall structure of the project area. Essentially, the project area is at the center of two neighborhoods that are clustered around the train station, with infrastructural elements subdividing them into housing blocks / typologies. The farther away buildings are from the station, the less dense they become, confirming a radial system of growth around the site. 17

Urban Fabric Defined as Clusters of Buildings and Typologies

Greenspace Acts as Bufferzones Between Infrastructure and Living Areas

Based on these observations, it can be said that the project area is a transition space between all these situations, and developing the site will require that they be acknowledged in the proposed design. Doing so will create a more dynamic situation that could potentially activate the project both socially and spatially. To connect the various factors of the project site in a holistic way, there needs to be a set of guiding principles in generating a designed intervention of the project area. Firstly, to maximize the potential of the site, a macro conceptual approach must be implemented that enhances the connection of the project to the city. 18

Roads Radially Subdivide From the Main Arteries

Project Area is at the Intersection of Public Transport Network

This can be achieved through a “Core and Periphery” model that currently exists in Almere, and apply it to the project site. Doing so will help solidify the project as the “Heart” of the two neighborhoods, making it a more active and dynamic space that will help achieve the goals of The Almere Principles. In addition to this strategy, there are other design rules that should be followed: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Filling the Void / Defining Edges Developing a “Collage of Living” Enhancing Connections and Human Scale Public Space Creating Smart Circulation and Parking 19

Cluster of High Density Mixed Use Program at Almere Centrum Station

The Project Site has the Potential to Act as the “Heart”of the Two Neighborhoods.

The Urban Fabric Around the Train Stations Tend to Have a Much Higher Density in Relation to the Surrounding Neighborhoods.

The Train Stations are Strategically Placed at the Center of Neighborhoods, Creating a “Core + Periphery” Model

Cluster of High Density Mixed Use Program at Almere Buiten Station

? ?

The Void Must be Filled to Face Urban Pressures from 3 Different Sides

A Collective Patchwork of New and Existing Parcels (1) The preexisting buildings on the site currently float within their own parcels, and do not acknowledge their immediate context. This causes a lack of spatial hierarchy because it does not competely fill the empty space that the infrastructure frames for them. It is therefore important that the intervention not only create street edges that frame public space, but also have a green landscape that penetrates and surrounds them. (2) To integrate the existing buildings with a potential new intervention, a consistent structural grid is needed in order to connect their sizes and forms together and fill the site. This allows for the project to be subdivided in to smaller parcels that gives zones of control that. Each parcel can develop its own character, without being separated from a holistic tissue, and a variety of programs could exist in these parcels, just like a “collage of living.” 22

Pedestrian Circulation + Structural Grid Determine the Filling of the Void

Potential Changes to the Human Scale Public Realm (3) The site is very well connected, the design of the proposal should take advantage of the pedestrian circulation around it. People walking to and from the train station, the P+R lot, and the bike parking areas generate a decent amount of foot traffic. The design proposal could use these circulation paths to activate the public realm. To achieve this transformation, the ground floor needs re-purposing so that socially interactive functions can exist at the human scale. (4) Currently, there is P+R lot on the site that takes up a lot of space, and is poorly used. It is proposed to vertically stack the P+R spaces in a parking deck, integrate it into the overall massing of the proposal, while combining new spaces needed for new housing on the site. This will increase the quality of the public realm, but to also increase the amount of it as well. 23

Developing a Plinth Around the Existing Buildings on Site

Greenspace Acts as Bufferzones Between Infrastructure and Living Areas This proposal fills the project area in a way that not only closes the void, but also strengthens the street edges, creating a more dense and more urban typology that make up the pieces of the “heart.” This strict edge exists on the ground level as a human scale element. This is because the plinths are activated by sociocultural and commercial program that will take advantage of the transitional circulation from the neighborhoods to the train station. On top of the plinths exists small to mid-rise residential apartments. This approach helps integrate the existing office buildings and their structure into a holistic overall plan that connects all the various factors together by implementing a common spatial form to the entire site. In between these plinths will be an urban hardscape that softens up in more residential areas of the plan. 24

Assisted Living

Affordable Housing (Buy)

Elder Care

Affordable Housing (Rent)

Catering / Dining

Affordable Housing (Rent + Buy) Day-care Center

Potential Programmatic Relationships between Towers and Plinths

This allows for the mixed use program on the ground floor to thrive. The overall height strategy of the proposal flanks the existing buildings with mid-rise blocks. Adding them in this way should increase pedestrian circulation on the ground, while incrasing the projects potential to be an Icon and an attractor for the two neighborhoods. This project will provide local residents an easily accessible central location for sociocultural functions that can act as a platform for social interaction for them, therefore creating a closer and healthier community that adheres to The Almere Principles. 25

The intervention aims to achieve these goals: (1) Creating a dynamic and active public realm from an underutilized space that takes advantage of its connectivity to public transport and the surrounding neighborhoods. (2) Developing a rich spatial hierarchy by integrating the existing buildings on the project site with the language and characteristics of the local context in a holistic conceptual approach. (3) Bringing diversity to an area of Almere that primarily caters to one demographic of people. (4) Integrates what has been seen as a “left over space” that awkwardly exists within a rigid urban fabric that defines the structure of the two neighborhoods.

S İ V A S P A R K B R I D G E

L o c P r o j e c t T e a H a s a n S ı t k ı M e r t

a t i o n : S i v a s , T u r k e y m : O s m a n U r a l , E r h a n V u r a l , G ü m ü ş s o y , A l e k s a n d r K a r p o v , K a l k a n , O z a n Ö z d i l e k

R o l e / C o n t r i b u t i o n Lead Project Designer. Responsible for the conceptualization development and all the 3D modeling and diagramming. I also set up the views and took the renderings. Post-processing for the renders and plans, sections, and elevations produced by others under my supervision.

STITCHING PUBLIC SPACE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE

This competition required us to provide a crossing point along the Kızılırmak (Red) River. This is critical because it allowed for connecting the city center on one side of the river, with “Sivas Republic University,” which exists on the other side of the river on the periphery of the city. The project area was in the center of a potential city park, so the bridge had to become a part of the recreational area. This was important because it had to be a key junction point of nature and culture, with multiple types of transportation crossing it. Cars, pedestrians, bicycles, and a city tram needed to cross at this point in a fluid and dynamic way which held the park and the city together. 31

In searching for design parameters for the project, it was clear to us that a wide and large bridge such as this needed to have a minimal impact to the micro-climate that exists within the potential park. In order to achieve this, the bridge should span the river without touching it with any sort of structure. This also allows for the bridge to not interrupt the visual continuity of the river for visitors in the park. The bridge should also integrate landscape within its structure and design, and not act as a isolated object within the park itself. 34

The process of finding the bridge was generative and started off with the basic functions crossing the river. The struggle of this project was trying to overlap all modes of circulation in a way that was holistic in form, yet was layered in a manner of which did not interrupt or impede the users of the bridge. It also had to be structurally feasible in a way that also spanned the river and lifted the tram and road above the water. 35

At the macro scale, the bridge acts as a linchpin that holds and brings two sides of the river together. The bridge also at the same time lifts the road above the river, allowing the park to continue underneath it. The pedestrian loop underneath the structure of the bridge is then linked up to the circulatory system of the park, connecting both sides together seamlessly. The path network on which visitors will travel subdivide the landscape into three zones. The one closest to the river is a flooding zone where wetlands exist. The middle zone exists as fields for open air recreational functions. The most outer zone is a buffer zone filled with trees to isolate the park from the city. 37

Functionally, the bridge exists as a 50-meter-wide section that is extruded across the river. To combat the issues of proximity that exists between all these modes of transportation, they are separated at different levels and heights. In doing so, the bridge is inherently made lighter and more open to the park. In order to connect all these layers back together, a single structural form is placed in between them. The layers are held up using tension cables that are attached to the primary structure which spans across the river. 41

B A N D I R M A C U L T U R A L P A R K

L o c a t i o n : B a n d P r o j e c t T e a m : O s m a n T u ğ c e A r ı , Ç a ğ k a n G H a s a n S ı t k ı

ı r m a , T u r k e y U r a l , A t a k a n K o c a , e n ç , E r h a n V u r a l , G ü m ü ş s o y

R o l e / C o n t r i b u t i o n Lead Project Manager. Responsible for the overall masterplan conceptualization development. Also primarily responsible for 3D modeling and design. I primarily developed the plans, sections, elevations, and diagrams so that others may produce them.

A N I N T E G R A T E D U R B A N P L A T E A U

On top of a hill in Bandırma sits an arrangement of old barracks left in ruins, growing within them a varied and lush landscape, looking upon the Marmara Sea. It wasn’t so long ago that these decayed military structures used to protect this once important trading port which had been activated by the opening of the İzmir Railway in 1912. During World War 1, Bandırma served as a key strategic position, transporting troops and materials to Çanakkale. After the war, as Istanbul grew, the need for this military location diminished and the was hill abandoned and ignored by it’s people. 49

As Bandırma now looks to become a key trading city once again with its new port project, now is the time to once again for the hill to also regain its importance, but this time as the city’s “green heart”. Its time for people to come back and reignite the historical heritage of the site without compromising the integrity of the micro-climate, which has developed over time. To bring together different peoples both locally and regionally to a tight knit community centered around culture and design. Our proposal begins with an injection of urban landscape along the ridge of the site. This injection exists as a platform on which new visitors can begin to interact with the site. 50

01 Density and Diversity An urban plateau is inserted into the corner of the site. This location is ideal for settlement due to the relatively flat topography which enhances walkability of the project. The urban plateau contains a dense and diverse set of programs which are necessary for placemaking. The tightness of the plateau keeps the buildable area to a minimum, reducing the environmental impact on the hill.

02 Access to the Plateau We enhanced the circulation to the site by creating axial bonds between the plateau and potential housing developments that border it. The relationship of the plateau to the city is strengthened by adding an access road to the road network and connecting a back road directly to an important roundabout at the bottom of the hill. A cable car link is proposed to link potential pedestrian traffic from the city.

03 Zoning in Loops The plateau acts as a platform from which the rest of the site can be explored. The experiences on the hill are layered by creating loops that overlap and intersect with each other. This is done to establish a zoning hierarchy which visitors can travel through. The layers are arranged based on topographic accessibility and their functions. Flatter areas tend to have more public functions, while steep areas are dedicated singular paths.

04 Cultural Enclave The plateau can be used as an organizational strategy for any program that is situated around it. 3 major programmatic elements are placed along the edges, with 3 minor complementary program attached to them. Each of these pairs are connected by their functional relationships, creating a circulation loop through them.

05 Pavilions and Workshops In between the pedestrian traffic and the major functions exist smaller and more flexible program such as retail, design workshops, and exhibition spaces. This is done to create places at the human scale, adding diversity to the plateau in both physicality and in function. In between spaces become the meeting areas for the enclave.

06 Connective Tissue As an alternative to the in between spaces on the plateau, a connective tissue is developed to create more direct modes of access from inside and outside the park. The tissue is flexible as it combines canopies, walkable roofs, and anchor programs within one dynamic form. This is also done to counteract the rigidity that exists on the plateau.

Each major function follows a couple of basic design rules that start at the masterplan level and finish at the human scale. The forms generated for the architecture is based on shifting masses that slide along the periphery of the urban plateau. Each form consists of varying horizontal bars, with a vertical bar at the end of each building. The bar gives hierarchy and directionality to the overall massing, but also makes the overall project more visible from the city center. Paired next to these shifting blocks exists a free flowing connective tissue that blends bridges, canopies, and buildings into a single form. This fluid structure gives the masterplan a contrasting element to the boxes on the plateau, while also connecting key points of the site both physically and visually. 57

Landscape consists of overlapping layers strung out around the hill. Firstly, there is an active loop that provides outdoor activity functions such as an amphitheater and a botanical garden, and connects all other layers of landscape to it. For more intimate experience, a Nature Path meanders throughout the preexisting landscape, which act as buffer zones from the highway. The third is a Productive Landscape that consists mainly of olive and fig trees along open ridge of the hill. Lastly, there is a historical zone that activates the stone ruins on the site by placing within them pavilions, workshops, and exhibition spaces that engages both visitors and people working at the design institute as well. The historical zone is connected to the site by using a passive gradient stonescape.

B A

M A L T E P E C E M E V İ

L o c a t i o n : İ s t a n b u l , T u r k e y P r o j e c t T e a m : O s m a n U r a l , B u r c u S e v i n ç , K ü b r a M e r c a n , E r h a n V u r a l , O z a n Ö z d i l e k , G ö k h a n K o d a l a k , H a s a n S ı t k ı G ü m ü ş s o y

ADAPTIVE DESIGN FOR A PREXISTING STRUCTURE

Alevite worship centers still come with a social stigmatism here in Turkey, as they are a sect in which mainstream Islam see as blasphemous, so this project was a rare opportunity to allow architects to explore design solutions to a part of society in which architecturally has very little precedent. Alevite worship centers are generally hidden in plane sight, usually being buildings with no architectural significance to blend into the environment. Worship in these “Cemevis” are also secretive, but are full of movement and where both women and men are seated equally in the eyes of God. But the foundation of all of these things is the close-knit community that all stand together. 67

The site is on a slope of a hill in the district of Maltepe, where currently sits a half finished building of what is to be a worship center for the local alevite population and is locally funded by the alevite association of the neighborhood. The current construction was halted by the municipality due to not finding the design worthy of support by the township, so this competition was opened to try and fix the situation. It was up to the designers to either try and save the current construction or start from scratch. But we found the challenge of incorporating the structure into a new design more interesting, as well as logical, due to the low-income families which they themselves have financed through their own sacrifices. 68

01 Preexisting Form An incomplete structure of a building sits isolated in the site. The structure therefore has no sense of urban hierarchy or direction.

02 Terraforming Pixelation of the topography integrates the urban environment with the current building, giving the complex a holistic language.

03 Programmatic Boxes The new forms are then activated with program, and is organized based on their specific needs and internal connections.

04 Bringing Circulation into Form Voids that exist between the forms provide various approaches to the building’s entrances, anchoring the complex to its urban context.

05 Preexisting Form Semi-open public spaces are provided by using pergolas to enrich the hierarchy of the thresholds to the complex and denote entrances to the building.

The Interior Prayer Space that Contains Various Forms of Worship

P O R T O M A R G H E R A S T A T I O N

G u i d i n g

L o c a t i o n : V e n i c e , I t a l y P r o j e c t T e a m : O s m a n U r a l P r o f e s s o r : T a n e h a K u z n i e c o w

B a c c h i n

R o l e / C o n t r i b u t i o n I was lead designer and solely responsible for all plans, 3D modeling, renders, diagrams, and architectural report. 84

MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION HUB FOR VENICE

The Municipality of Venice is a conflict of two identities. The weight of history upon is it’s greatest source of identity, but also it’s greatest source of loss of identity. In Tommaso Cartia’s (2018) article about Italian art historian and author Salvatore Settis, he explores Settis’ recent book If Venice Dies. It is a cautionary tale of how the historical city core of Venice has lost it’s essence due to the migration of people away from the island and to the hinterland. Overtourization, inflated housing costs, and lack of job opportunities have reduced the historic island to an empty shell where the only job you can really have involves servicing the thousands of tourists who visit every year. 85

Most inhabitants flee to Mestre and Marghera, where the cost of life are lower and it’s transport networks more connected within itself and the region as a whole. Jane Archer’s (2017) article goes more into depth about this struggle over the soul of Venice, and the conflict that has defined the fight over it. This conflict of can be encapsulated in the treatment and perception of the cruise ships that pass through Venice. On one hand, Venetian residents and environmentalists alike argue that these ships cause pollution to the lagoon and are a an offense to the cultural heritage of Venice. Business leaders and elected officials however are worried that stopping the cruise ships from entering will hurt the city’s economy. How can these opposing sides come together in a compromise to solve these issues threatening their city and their way of life? 86

A place to begin would be to reduce the pressure of the cruise ships on the island and move it to another location, this place being the Porto Marghera. It is an industrial zoned port area that has slowly over time become abandoned and empty, and has ample space for a new cruise port which could serve the tourists. The tourists who come out of this port could potentially activate new development opportunities to the area and act as a gateway to Venice and the region. In order for this gateway to be supported, more transit flows need to be included by increasing the transportation network of the city. By connecting the Marco Polo airport to the tram network, both tourist and business interests could more efficiently access Venice, Marghera, and Mestre. Integrating the high-speed train which goes to the island could also have its ridership benefit from its connection to the airport as well. 87

M In ar te co rn P aa ol -P on o ia al zz Ai al rp e or Ro t m a

A Co zot o m m e Fin rcio ca nn er i VE Pa GA di la Ve Ex n p Un eziao ive rs ità

ra ie

ra n

ar gh er a M te Fo r

St az es tre M

LIN

io ne

F.S

Fo r

LIN

Ve n

ez ia

M (P es ia tr zz e M St es al Ce e n az tr Ci tr io e al o ne di F.S ni ) .

Fo rte

M ar gh

er a

N HI EW ER N AR ET CH W Y O

Tr an sfe r

M ar C Sa Ca Or Do Ci Te In a gh av v er erg bba mp land n V ico sser ter rco a ec a na Po a 20 a Tr nag dino lto c ao lo 0 hi an o na sfe lA rH irp ub or t

If you also integrate bus lines and water ferries into this mix of flows in the gateway, you have the foundations for multimodal transfer hub. The following project is an exploration into how this multimodal transfer hub could take shape. It looks at the implications of its existence within the transportation network of Venice. It tries to figure out the potential ways in which the transit flows can be used to it’s advantage, and whether the multimodal transfer hub could be something more than just a piece of infrastructure.

To understand the circulatory impact of the new multimodal hub, the hierarchy and form of the current transportation network needs to be understood. According to Robertus Van Nes (2002), the current form is based on a linear model with a lot of stops and a terminus station on Venice island which transfers to a more radial network based on the ferries that traverse the lagoon. The apparent lack of direct connections to main points of attraction makes for longer traveling times and therefore reduces overall ridership as alternative modes of transportation can be less time consuming and cheaper overall. A way to alleviate this problem is replacing the Forte Marghera Station with a multimodal hub which will allow passengers from Marghera to bypass Mestre altogether and reach either the Marco Polo Airport or the Piazzale Roma with ease. The increased access to the Porto Marghera area will also improve the network and activate potential development to an otherwise isolated area. 88

In order to link all the existing transportation networks in Venice, the implementation of a multimodal transit hub is necessary. According to Qi Li (2016), a multimodal transit hub is a structure which hosts different modes of transportation from which a similar product, in this case transit passengers, are distributed. But how will the implementation of this hub help regenerate the Porto Marghera area? The theoretical framework behind implementing a multimodal hub in Porto Marghera is based on the ideas of transit-oriented development (TOD). According to Zane Bishop (2015), this type of development can create more sustainable cities because of the many benefits it provides. Areas with close proximity to efficiently planned transportation infrastructures tend to have less urban sprawl, have more efficient land use, increased ridership in mass-transit networks, and have revitalized neighborhoods spurred on by economic development due to increased land values and opportunities. 89

How will this multimodal hub achieve the benefits that transit-oriented development can provide? Reconnecting America’s Center for Transit-Oriented Development (2008) developed guidelines to help decision making when designing transit stations. Different actions are recommended to be taken are based on the location, density, diversity of surrounding functions, and intensity of activity. Based on the proposed location for the new Porto Marghera multimodal hub, the TOD place type is a Special Use District, which needs to have a concentrations of commercial, civic, and cultural uses. TOD also requires the area around the station to be planned with certain principles in mind, such as making accessible and attractive public spaces, have efficient parking, and maximizing neighborhood and station connectivity. The new Porto Marghera multimodal hub will therefore become not just a transfer terminal, but will also become an attraction point of recreational and sociocultural functions. 90

A Holistic Protective Roofscape Encompasses the Transfer Hub

Marghera Tram Line Cruise Terminal Port

Bus Lines + Cars

High Speed Train

Ferry Lines

Mestre + Airport Tram Line The Varying Transportation Networks that Run Across the Site

The goal of this project is to make use of the pendulum flows of people to Venice as a driver of rehabilitation and sustainable growth in the Porto Marghera area. To achieve this, it is necessary to propose an infrastructural intervention which enhances the connectivity between all the existing modes of transportation between the mainland and Venice. The currently existing public transport connections include a tram line from Mestre, bus lines ranging from municipal to international levels, and regional and cross-border high speed train services. This project is therefore an intervention that takes these flows and horizontally connect them in the shape of a multi modal hub. 91

Hotel

Cruise Terminal

Cruise Entrance

Cultural Functions

Social Functions

Bus Terminal

Tram + Ferry Terminal Nodes of Infrastructural Functions in Relation to Transportation

Cruise Island Berth + Rowing Area

Bird Sanctuary Highway Buffer Zone Recreational Island Kayak Loading Berth

Recreative and Social Program Help Support Vitality of the Hub

This will allow people to transfer seamlessly from one mode of transportation to another, but will also act as an attractor for more connections and modes of transportation. The proposed intervention is determined to be a replacement for the Porto Marghera Train Station, which will be moved from its current location next to the VEGA technology park. The new location for this station will allow for it to act not as a local station, but as a conduit between the Venice and the world. This will be achieved by adding both an extension to the Marghera tram line to the hub and a new connection to the Marco Polo Airport, while also providing a transfer location for ferries and water taxis for broader and more comprehensive connections to Venice and the islands around it. 92

Cruise Pier

615 m

Main Entrance Square 1.6 km

Island Waterfront 1.2 km

Structure of the Hardscape that Help Shape Public Space

Outdoor Lighting

Planter Seating Outdoor Tables

Floating Pavilions

Bench + Art Wall

Bench

Structure of the Hardscape that Help Shape Public Space

The hub will also take advantage of the hyper-connectivity of this strategic position by creating a new cruise ship port that will displace the one currently in Venice. This will allow tourists from the cruise ships to directly access multiple transportation networks in a direct and comfortable way. The new port will also allow for the re-directing of cruise ship routes by taking them through front of the Port of Marghera. This will limit the physical and environmental damage that is done by cruise ships around the historical parts of Venice and the lagoon that surrounds it. The hyper-influx of tourists at this location will also provide and audience which can create new programmatic potentialities that could re-activate the Porto Marghera area. 93

Steel + Aluminum Framing Architectural Fabric / Mesh

Glass Facades for Buildings

Concrete Platforms + Pathing

Exploded Axonometric of the Overall Structure of the Hub

The flow of tourists could also make the transfer station not just an infrastructural object, but a destination point where social and recreational functions intersect. The strategic location of the hub also happens to sit between Forte Marghera, Parco San Giulano, and the planned bird sanctuary within the ecological corridor. This location gives motivation for the creation of ecotourism centric developments within the transfer station. Elements such as a visitor center for the bird sanctuary, berths for small boats and kayaks, restaurants, exhibition spaces, an entertainment venue, and a hotel will allow for the hub to transcend to more than just infrastructural space, but as Jane Jacobs (1961) describes as a clash of economic and social diversities which brings a sense of vitality that is fundamental in placemaking. 94

Phase 2b: Cruise Port

Phase 1: New Bus Terminal

Phase 2a: Bird Sanctuary

Phase 4: New Train Station Phase 3a: Tram + Ferry Station

Phase 3b: Recreational Island

Phasing of the Multimodal Hub Structure

International Level

Privately Owned

National + Regional Level

Municipal Level

Jurisdiction of the Terminals Based on Scale of Responsibility

Section through the Train Station, with Platforms on the Ground

Section through the Bus Station, with a Parking Lot Underneath

B İ G A D İ Ç M U N I C I P A L I T Y B U I L D I N G

101

P r o j e c t

L o c a t i o n : B i g a d i ç , T u r k e y T e a m : O s m a n U r a l , A y ş e g ü l

U r a l

R o l e / C o n t r i b u t i o n I was lead designer and solely responsible for all plans, 3D modeling, renders, and diagrams. The architectural report was written with help from my wife, who translated it to Turkish.

D I S C O V E R I N G T H E “ S O U L ” O F P U B L I C B U I L D I N G S

Public buildings should be inherently part of our urban life as it provides essential sociocultural activities that activates a community to come together and thrive. Unfortunately, a hypocrisy exists within it’s structure as governmental services tend to exist in a labyrinth of isolated offices which house a system of bureaucratic functions. The restricted movement, lack of transparency, and a general deficiency of public functions in these buildings result in the community not connecting or identifying with them. In order to reverse this trend, the design of public buildings first priority should be placemaking. The philosopher Martin Heidegger (1958) argues that the goal of architecture should be primarily to create human experience, instead of just designing a purely functional building. Then a designed object transcends its functional purpose, it can be said it has a “soul.” 103

When looking at the project site, Bedriye Asımgil writes in her paper Evaluation of a Sustainable Bigadiç Civil Architecture and its Landscape: Architectural Typology and Building Physics that the village of Bigadiç exhibits an inherent sustainable structure due to its rural location, combined with the settlement’s physical response to its surrounding mountainous topography and climate of the area. This structure was achieved by primarily aligning the main streets within Bigadiç towards the prevailing winds of the area at an angle of around 20 to 30 degrees. The allows the form of the urban fabric to contribute to the sustainability of the town by orienting facades along the east to west direction so the buildings can collect heat from the sun and also avoid putting shade upon other buildings surrounding it. 104

The site plan of the new project is a result of these orientation parametrics. The proposal is therefore a set of detached and compact blocks revolving around a central courtyard framed by social and cultural functions. This pubic square provides a comfortable place in which people can cool down in the summer months. Importance is also given to the harmony of the blocks with their natural environment by injecting vegetation between and around them - a relationship that is exhibited throughout the surrounding area of Bigadiç. The detached blocks also allow for a free flow of circulation between them as people visit the new municipality building, in turn establishing connections with the surrounding context. 105

GRID

organic

Hybrid

Oda Oda

Sofa

Oda Sofa

Oda

Sofa

Oda

Another influencing factor in the form of the project are the general typologies of buildings in the region. Generally, the urban fabric of Bigadiç consists of 2-3 story buildings that follow basic principles of vernacular Turkish housing language. These typologies are explored in an article written by Ömer Erem and M. Selen Abbasoğlu Ermiyagil (2016) called Adapted Design Generation for Turkish Vernacular Housing Grammar. They explain that houses in the rural Anatolian regions of Balıkesir implement a spatial organization that places rooms centered around a hall called a Sofa which acts as a transition space between private and public life. Their research provides villagers a tool to design buildings that are contemporary yet is relevant to their rural contexts. The design proposal for the new municipality building of Bigadiç uses this approach and fuses it with the functional necessities of contemporary public building life. 106

The building envelope of the proposal uses a mix of locally found materials such as white stone from Işıklar village, which is 4.5 km away from the building site. The thick and lightly colored stone walls allow for heat storage during the day in winter and provides protection from solar radiation during the summer months (Asımgil, 2013). The proposal also uses timber framing in it’s structure, which is a renewable resource that is used heavily in other buildings in the region. The use of these materials in this project will significantly reduce the transportation costs and carbon footprint of the construction of the building. The design proposal also references the pitched and tiled roofs in the region. Using pitched roofs help with dealing with the weather conditions of the area, and also provide better air circulation throughout the building (Asımgil, 2013). In addition to this, openings at the peak of the pitched roofs were implemented to bring more light into important spaces of the building. 107

108

Contemporary public buildings in Turkey exist in a perpetual crisis of identity which generally exist between two perceptions of architectural reality. One is a reality in which designed buildings act as an inwardly focused structure that primarily exists within itself, whose language is defined by a globalized and cosmopolitan terminology.

109

In a final act of placemaking in this conceptual design, the building is made more open to the public by lifting the stone block off the ground floor. Social functions such as restaurants and exhibition spaces are introduced to increase the free flow of public interaction around the building. The central cultural square in the project is also sunken to provide a spatial element that is protected from the environmental elements. The sunken courtyard also acts as a gathering place which is activated by the ateliers and public functions that surround it. 110

111

112

The other reality is an approach that implements revivalist styles that associates it’s architecture with Turkey’s inherited historical past. This polarity in the expression of architecture between traditionalist and international design approaches are a direct result from the competing modern geopolitical identities and ideologies of the country.

113

114

115

116

117

V O O R H O F M A S T E R P L A N

119

L o c a t i o n : D e l f t , T h e N e t h e r l a n d s P r o j e c t T e a m : O s m a n U r a l G u i d i n g P r o f e s s o r : H a m e d K h o s r a v i

R o l e / C o n t r i b u t i o n I was lead designer and solely responsible for all plans, 3D modeling, renders, diagrams, and architectural report.

STYLOSTIXIFYING DELFT

Leiden

Den Haag Delft

Rotterdam Dordrecht

The city of Delft exists in a bottleneck of two metropolitan areas: Den Haag and Rotterdam. As they grow larger over time, Delft will need to compete in order to prevent becoming a suburban area to one of the metropolises. In order for Delft to take it’s rightful place within the Great Urban Necklace, the city needs to become better connected, more dense, and more urban. One way to achieve this would be to implement strategies for Delft to transform into a knowledge city! It already supports one of the world’s most robust universities, but the city most develop in ways which prevent trends of commuter traffic and encourage permanent settlement in Delft itself. 121

Existing Connections Potential Connections

The ideal place for new development would be in the south of Delft, where the footprint density of the current urban texture is low. There is also an underutilized NS train station which could spur growth in the surrounding neighborhoods. Another reason why this location is suitable is the close proximity to the TU Delft Campus, which would require this area’s East to West circulation strengthened. Not only would this provide a better connection between the residential neighborhoods and the university, but strengthen the connection along the Great Urban Necklace. 122

This project proposes creating a Spine-Loop which will connect the residential areas to the university. Not only will it bring these two urban functions together, but it will also inject a more urban form of street life which will be sustained by two strategies. One strategy is to create new housing units within the neighborhoods of Voorhof and Buitenhof. The locations for these new buildings are found in-between the large scale housing projects within the current urban texture in the neighborhoods. The funds created by the new developments would help fund retrofitting the older housing blocks so that they are more environmentally friendly, and also change the program of their entrance floors to more public functions. 123

TU Delft Industrial Area

Voorhof Buitenhof

The Current Existing Situation in South Delft

How to connect and integrate different socio-spatial functions? Where do we fit 5000 new homes within the current context?

How to Connect Residential Zones and TU Delft Together?

What to do with the Factories Stuck between TU and Voorhof New Housing Inserted 20m Away from Preexisting Buildings

Densifying the Living Areas within the Neighborhoods

Kabelfabriek Zone

TU Delft Loop

Urban Loop

Family Promenade

Every Loop within the Spine has a Different Typology Zone

1 min. 3 min.

2 min.

The Loop Spine Allows for a Walkable Neighborhood

Student Housing

Professional Housing

Family Housing

125 Characteristics and Conditions of the Spine - Loop

Program Loops and their Connections

The Loops Congeal and Solidify Around Preexisting Context

126 Morphology of the Spine Determined by Context

Varying Program Typologies with Low Density Footprint

Local Circulation Creates Boundaries Throughout Area

127 Programmatic Zones in Need of a Connective Spine

The Loop Transforms the Preexisting Ground Floor Residential Program Into Potential Public Functions

Social Commercial

New Housing

Shops

Offices 128

Cultural

129

S Family Housing 23 New Buildings 145 Total New Units / Floor

Mixed Housing 13 New Buildings 116 Total New Units / Floor

Student Housing 14 New Buildings 179 Total New Units / Floor

130

Connection

NKF Repurpose

Bridge Repurpose

Cleaning Brownfield by Implementing New Filtration System

The second strategy is to implement a masterplan in the industrial zone between the housing areas and the university area. In order to make this happen, a phasing method needs to be implemented to make the area habitable and feasible. First, the brownfield needs to be cleaned through natural filtration processes. Secondly, the NS station needs to be upgraded to meet the demands of the new influx of residents. Thirdly, the Kabelfabriek needs to be re-purposed as a cultural and economic hub in which offices can be rented, cultural events be had, and educational services delivered. While these projects become complete, new residential blocks can be developed and inhabited. This growth will bring new life to the city, attracting students and working professionals alike. Also because of the new opportunities, more of these inhabitants will decide to make Delft their permanent home! 131

The Knowledge Factory New Loop Road

Neighborhood Greenhouse New Kabelfabriek Finished + New Housing Settlements Eventually Densify and Create Public Spaces

30 New Buildings 322 Total New Units / Floor

Green Buffer Zone

Public Square

Waterfront

132

Private Offices

Exhibition Hall

Atelier Pavilion

Start Up Pavilion

Conference Hall

Technical School

Corporate Office

Theatre Hall

Cultural and Office Pavilions within the new Kabelfabriek

133

135

S Ü L E Y M A N P A Ş A M U N I C I P A L I T Y B U I L D I N G

137

L o c a t i o n : T e k i r d a ğ , T u r k e y P r o j e c t T e a m : O s m a n U r a l , A y ş e g ü l

U r a l

E M B R A C I N G T H E W A L L

This competition required us to provide a municipality building that implements a contemporary vision of how a public building can exist on a very challenging site. Facing the Marmara Sea, one of the main motivations for this building was to provide maximum views for the maximum amount of offices. The second motivation was providing the maximum amount of recreational space which inhabitants surrounding the building are in dire need of. The third motivation was to solve the relationship between the form of the project and the massive 15 meter tall massive concrete wall that exists at the back of the site. 139

The location of the site happens to be at the entrance to the town of Tekirdağ, and is at a crossroads between commercial and residential functions. Because of this, the original function of this site was a bus terminal that connects the city to its surrounding areas. It is because of this that the massive concrete wall exists at the back of the site, because the bus station needed to be flat in order to serve the buses properly. This caused a major separation problem between the residential areas and the commercial areas below that exist along the seaside. The form of the structure therefore reacts to the massive concrete wall in the back by placing supportive and non-active functions of the building in the back, and exist as a continuation of the massive concrete wall. 140

The space in between the building and the massive wall is filled up with soil in order to support a recreational green space which inhabitants near the building can use. The main entrances to the building are placed at the front, where the elevation is flat and easier to walk on. This area then becomes a hardscape that supports visitors to the municipality building, but also more commercial functions on the entrance floor of the building. Not only does this provide a hierarchy for landscape use, but also provides the main entrance to the building in the form of a public square. This also allowed for uninterrupted views of the sea for the offices in the building. 141

142

01 Approaching the Site In terms of approaching the site, two corners are identified as main approaches to the building. One of these corners are defined by its relationship to the city center and pedestrian movement from there, and is an intersection point of other secondary streets that help support residential areas in the surrounding environment. The other corner is more defined by its approach into the city and acts as an entrance into Tekirdağ. These two dueling circulations meet each other to create a connection between the city and its periphery, creating an axis along the flat side of the site.

02 Activating the Edge In order to take advantage of this discovered axis, the settlement of the building should follow this edge in order to activate it with public and commercial functions. Another advantage to this organizational scheme is to maximize distance from the closed off concrete supporting wall on the back of the site to the offices above the ground floor. Doing so also takes advantage of the sites close proximity to the sea, and gives all offices seaside views from their work-spaces.

03 Embracing the Wall The concrete wall in the back of the site is such a prevalent and dominating site condition that ignoring it would be detrimental to the building in both form and function. There is no other choice but to embrace the wall and integrate its relationship of the area to the design of the building itself. This is done by treating the wall as a ribbon which wraps itself around the site, is continued along the active edge, and ending in the entrance corner facing the city. This is manipulated in order to both match the maximize the use of space within the parcel, but also match the edge conditions created by the concrete wall.

04 Greening the Void The ribbon effect created by placing the complimentary wall has divided the site between active and non-active zones, giving the project hierarchy and direction. The actual space created between the concrete structural walls however is now a void. This void is then re-purposed by creating a re-creative green space, and in doing so creates a buffer between the building and the concrete supporting wall. This new park will have an appeal for both visitors and people working in the offices. The park is also sloped so that people can more freely access the park from multiple sides of the site. Sloping the park also allows for program expansion area, which get sunlight and access to the outdoors without having to mix with public circulation.

05 Hierarchy in the Plan The hierarchy of program created by the green space also affects the general positioning and parametrics of the plans. The secondary wall is thickened into a volumetric space which will act as a spine containing service functions and vertical circulation throughout the building. This is done to let all offices face outwards to the sea, while spaces which are more closed or used sparingly sit in the back facing the park. This also creates a secondary buffer zone between the offices and the concrete supporting wall, and also restricts circulation to a minimum amount of space.

06 Volumetric Manipulation To make the building more relatable in both the human scale and the urban, the office mass is cut into several pieces. Dividing the offices into blocks makes the scale of the offices more relatable to the surrounding urban context, but also gives hierarchy to the different types of office program within. Green roof terraces are also implemented to provide workers common meeting spaces and enjoy the view of the Marmara Sea. In the end, a government building should reflect its social service to the community it serves. This is emulated through multiple blocks of social workers coming together to make a better and stronger society - as strong as a wall!

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

My personal design workflow which I have developed involves a juggling act of three tools. A combination of SketchUp, AutoCAD, and good ol’ fashioned sketching and diagramming helps me get to where I need to go. When I feel I am getting stuck in one medium, I seamlessly transfer to another one to find solutions to my problems. When the situation calls for it, I reach out for other tools such as Rhino to achieve different forms, but usually the plugins that you can find for SketchUp can handle most of the challenges within design. Once the project is near completion, the production phase of design begins. Site Plans, Sections, and Elevations are finalized using Layout and Photoshop. The rendering of the project is then done in Cinema4D by first importing the SketchUp model into the program. Then time is spent assigning materiality, lighting, and objects to scenes so that they can be batch rendered over night using the V-Ray engine for C4D. Once the renders are done, post-production is done by adding grass textures, people, and clouds to enhance the believability to the images. Also filters are implemented through Color Efex Pro in an attempt to give renders an ethereal and dreamlike state. Lumion is also a great alternative for producing images when time is short, especially for animations. 154

B I O G R A P H Y I am a 33 year old, married, American Turk currently practicing urban design in Groningen for De Zwarte Hond. I graduated with a masters in Urbanism from the Technische Universiteit of Delft (TU Delft) only about 2 years ago, and this was after working as an architect in Istanbul for 7 years prior to my return to academia. After hearing this, I think one could argue I have taken the long road in order to get where I am today. Therefore, in order to explain how I decided to pursue a career in the Netherlands, I must first explain the path that I have traveled the past couple of years. “Where are you from?” This question has always been a difficult question for me, because my father worked for General Electric, and our family had to move every 4-5 years. I was born in Bloomington, Indiana. We then moved to Istanbul, Turkey when I was 5 years old. Then I started 1st Grade in Lahore, Pakistan. I attended high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. This constant flux of change, combined with an exposure to different cultures and urbanities, gave me a set of experiences that allows me see the world through many various perspectives that not many people can. It laid the foundations as a designer, which is why I decided to pursue an Architecture degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It is also is the reason why when I graduated in 2011, I made a decision to leave the U.S and find another place to pursue my career as an architect. Back then, the States were still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis, and it held the entire construction industry to a grinding halt. This made look towards an environment that was booming with exciting and new projects, which is why I decided to move to Istanbul. I would go there during my summers, and it seemed untouched by the global financial crisis. This gave me a significant advantage over my peers, because I could become a licensed architect immediately with my bachelors degree in Turkey. Demand for architectural services was so incredibly high at the time, which allowed opportunities for young architects that are almost impossible to see in the West. There was also a robust culture of national design competitions, which would allow for my ideas to emerge from the status quo. I worked in this rich and dynamic environment for 6 years, with the vast of the majority of the time being spent at ABOUTBLANK Architecture and Urban Design, which I helped start up in 2012 with friends I met at Emre Arolat Architects. During my time there, I lead and managed many design competitions, and these projects exposed me to new ideas and processes. This was an intense period in my life, as it involved 70 hour work weeks and conceptual debates among the other team members of the office. I developed a strong comradery with my partners, and all the effort put into these projects helped define the designer I am today. However, as the political and socio-economic landscape in Turkey deteriorated, interesting projects became increasing rare to come by, and I felt like I was not growing anymore as an architect/urban designer. That is why I left the office in 2017 to pursue my Master’s degree, as I thought and felt it was a great time to look outward in search for new opportunities. I also felt disconnected from the theoretical and scholarly side of my profession, which seemed to not be so important in the commercial practice of architecture. During this transition period, not only did I meet my wife, but pursing my master’s degree exposed me to new perspectives that force rigorous dialect within analytical frameworks that primarily exist in an academic setting such as TU Delft. After experiences in both North America and the Middle East, Europe seemed like a logical destination to be in an ideal environment to develop holistically as a designer! 155