Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 27
Occupation: Architect.
Instagram: @utkang
Hometown: Istanbul.
Studio location: Milan.
Describe what you make: I’m trying to create spaces whose shapes and colors provoke memories of childhood as if you were taking candies from your grandmother’s wooden drawer. These experiences offer glimpses of the past while creating memorable spaces that you want to share with others. Getting this information is not a one-day job—it’s an evolving process. While designing, we all have our aesthetic preferences and as we process them with daily life, they morph into something new while carrying older ideas. I believe, more or less, this is how my approach works, since it’s triggered by the emotion. It’s quite instinctive.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Definitely the ongoing residential project in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Describe the problem your work solves: Through my work, I try to understand the user’s past and emotional needs. I believe our memories are the most important factor in forming visual preferences and emotions. I interpret our past and memories using contemporary architectural language until it arrives at the point where it becomes familiar in a modern context and can trigger emotions.
Describe the project you are working on now: Right now, I’m working on a private apartment in Milan and experimenting with new materials which is really exciting. I’m working closely with the owners and trying to understand what they like. It’s so important for me to really get to know them and make their house perfect for their everyday needs.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I’m really excited to debut my first furniture collection at Milan Design Week through a collaborative exhibition with other designers. I also might pre-launch a few pieces in different cities. Since the interiors I design consist of custom-made pieces, I wanted to go one step forward in this direction and define my design language on a new canvas.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Having music on—Dave Brubeck or Miles Davis on shuffle. Regularly preparing pots of Turkish tea and giving small breaks to fill my cup. Stepping away from screens and stretching my muscles.
What you do when you’re not working: Being a nerd since my childhood, my life consists mostly of screens. The more I try to avoid them, the more I end up in front of them.
Sources of creative envy: Dimore Studio, Ettore Sottsass, Ricardo Bofill, Luis Barragán, India Mahdavi, Cristina Celestino, Aesop, Masquespacio.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Watching motivational videos.
Concrete or marble? Marble. Natural wins.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Light.
