Avcı Architects & Partners Almanac 2023

WHAT WE HAVE DONE THIS YEAR?

We are thrilled to share the highlights of our remarkable journey in 2023—a year marked by profound learning, productivity, and a holistic design approach at Avcı Architects. Throughout the year, we embraced numerous innovations, with one of the most noteworthy being the introduction of the “charrette” method in our studio, where the studio holds an internal competition to produce many ideas and a jury selects the winner. This novel approach has seamlessly integrated into our design philosophy, fostering comprehensive participation and production across the entire studio, and has now evolved into a cherished design tradition for Avcı Architects.

Furthermore, 2023 brought the happy celebration of the promotions of Merve Kavas Görgün and Sevinç Ortaburun, two senior architects within our office. Their elevated positions reflect the talent and dedication that contribute to the success of our team. In addition to these achievements, our engagement in numerous interviews and publications has allowed us to share our insights and expertise with a broader audience.

A notable initiative that unfolded in 2023 is the “Lunch&Learn” concept, a collaborative form of training that we have successfully implemented throughout the studio in partnership with various material suppliers and specialists whose products we are looking at using in our projects. The realization of these innovations and initiatives is only possible with the excitement and challenges presented by our diverse portfolio of projects, both domestically and internationally. As we reflect on the transformative journey of 2023, we look forward to continued growth and success in the coming years.

“CHARRETTES” AT AVCI ARCHITECTS ARE THE FUTURE OF COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

The “Charrette” method stands out as a groundbreaking approach we recently introduced at our studio, where the entire team actively participates in the conceptual development of projects by producing competing ideas. We successfully implemented this novel method in notable projects like Rimski Vrelec Spa Hotel, RSD Etiler Residence 7 and İzmir Sürdürülebilirlik Merkezi Competition. This approach has seamlessly integrated into our overarching design philosophy, fostering comprehensive engagement and production across the entire studio.

Could we learn about the values and details that brought Avcı Architects, whose journey in the world of design started 32 years ago in London and has been growing, to this day? What is the focus of your architectural production approach?

We were established in the UK in 1989 as an architecture office. We have never compromised our insistence on design and concept quality from day one. For us, design is a layering process. The emergence of a solution is based on understanding and rapport with the issues surrounding the project. We try to get down to the DNA of the issue, avoiding stereotypes. This is what excites us …

We consider every project we deal with as a unique opportunity, try to prioritize the principles of sustainability in each project, and open the sine qua non of the work to the discussion at first. This can sometimes be an approach to social-cultural balance, sometimes a relationship with nature, sometimes an idea that affects energy consumption and of course carbon emissions. While attempting to build a beautiful building, we do whatever we can to balance the potential relationship of this building with nature and its impact on the supernatural. One of the most important factors of this is that the materials used in the building are locally sourced as much as possible and the energy needs are minimized. Our design approach is project-specific, contemporary, and holistic. First of all, we set out with the desire to understand the region we designed, the people, the culture of the country and of course the wishes of our customers. We see every new design problem in architecture as an opportunity for innovation. Because every new project; is a combination of unique components such as climate, culture, people, economy, society, eco-system, and history. Each of these also adds possibilities and potentials. We can even say that real architecture cannot exist without innovation.

THE NEW TIMBER SPA HOTEL IN THE ROMAN SPA OF RIMSKI VRELEC BEGINS TO EMERGE

Koltje, Slovenia

Rimski Vrelec SPA Hotel is a boutique hotel in Kotlje, Slovenia with 20 rooms. The proposed design has been developed by a full collaboration in the office. At the end of a charrette organized in the office we selected one project for a further development.

The connection between the project and its location has been strengthened day by day since the start of the project. The integration of the hotel with the forest has been enhanced, especially resolving the relationships of the SPA, clinic, and entrance lobby. The location of the museum function has been altered to avoid overshadowing the restaurant entrance, and it has been arranged as an outdoor museum to avoid increasing the construction area. Detailed work on the Glamping units is ongoing, with both custom-designed units and ready-made products from various companies presented as alternative option.

A VERY PRIVATE HOME

Confidential

This large family house is sited in one of the most sought after districts of a metropolitan city in the Middle East and is a refurbishment which involved the total stripping out of a neo-classical façade. The original house on a 2400sqm site, was already designed in two parts, the main house in Villa 1 and a smaller house known as Villa 2. The building is designed as a multi-layered and multifunctional residence which not only caters for the needs of the main family heads but also the wider family of older children and grandchildren who will from time to time stay there. The challenge of the design process was to deal with the architectural and structural realities of the existing structure, while endeavouring to create a modern home which feels unique and new. Doing this while providing practical and visionary responses to the family’s needs proved to be a highly challenging process.

Construction is under progress, and is due for completion in Spring 2024.

ETILER RESIDENCE 7 PROVIDES AN EXCITING NEW ALTERNATIVE IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET

A MODULAR TIMBER HOUSE STUDY

A SUMMER HOUSE TRANSFORMED

LOFT KAVACIK RESIDENCE HAS OPENED

LUNCH & LEARN A PLATFORM FOR LEARNING

EVENTS, INTERVIEWS AND PUBLICATIONS

We actively participated in various publications, interviews, and educational endeavors throughout the year. Selçuk Avcı engaged in an insightful interview with Yasemin Şener, shedding light on Avcı Architects’ ongoing architectural and urban design projects both nationally and internationally, GEMSS’23, and The Circle’s innovations and goals. The interview was featured in Milliyet Mimarlık. Additionally, Selçuk Avcı shared his perspectives on the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale in an exclusive piece for Bi_özet. Furthermore, the significant contributions of Selçuk Avcı and Avcı Architects & Partners found a place in the book ‘Architects of the Republic.’ This compilation highlights 100 architects who have left an indelible mark on the history of Turkish architecture through their buildings, awards, books, and words in the first 100 years of the Turkish Republic.

“Mimarlık alanındaki genç girişimleri destekleyecek bir kuluçka merkezi oluşturuyoruz”

“Avcı Architects kurucusu Mimar Selçuk Avcı ile ulusal ve uluslararası ölçekte yürüttüğü güncel mimari ve kentsel tasarım projelerinin yanı sıra stüdyonun yeni ortaklık yapısını, açık çağrısı 9 Temmuz’a kadar devam eden GEMSS’23’ü, The Circle’daki yenilikleri, aynı çatı altında bir kuluçka merkezini de kapsayacak olan yeni bir mimarlık hub’ı oluşturma hedeflerini konuştuk.”

[Bienal İzlenimleri] – Selçuk Avcı: “Sömürgecilik, sömürgecilik ve sömürgecilik…”