Architecture Competition Memorial for Witches Honorable mention winners - Kenan Pence and Deniz Calisir Pence

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Memorial for Witches" competition – Kenan Pence Deniz Calisir Pence from Turkey!

Honorable mention from Turkey

Kenan Pençe is graduated from Mimar Sinan University, Department of Interior Architecture. After graduating, he started the Visual and Environmental Arts graduate program in ITU. Meanwhile, He founded Kenan Pençe Design Office and realized many concept design project and application in his company. He also won various awards in national competitions. Additionally, He has been teaching some courses related interior architecture projects and advanced representation techniques at prestigious universities such as ITU, Medipol and FSM in Turkey.  In 2006, his book titled Where the War Defeated/Gallipoli was published.

Deniz Çalışır Pençe is an art historian. She received her Phd. Degree from İstanbul Techical University. She has been teaching some various classes related art and architectural history at interior architecture department and art history graduated program in ITU.

Kenan Pençe and Deniz Çalışır Pençe have had the opportunity to work together on some projects in recent years with a collaboration that uses the richness of different disciplines and ways of thinking.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been involved?

He realized designs, concepts, and application projects mainly stores, offices, museums, and residences of different sizes and scales, offering a service for public and private clients. Some projects have been published in interior architectural magazines.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

I believe that the architectural profession is an aesthetic calculation of what we include inside and leave out, for a specific purpose. An architectural design is completed when we can decide on the last thing that is added to it and the last thing that will be removed from it. The architect should make moral, wise and courageous propositions that do not contradict nature, regardless of the artificial and forced fashionable trends imposed on him by the age.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

‘’Architecture competitions are unique experiences for young and experienced professionals to trigger and revitalize their professional dynamics and to recognize themselves and even push their limits.”

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

A designer must convince herself/himself before trying to persuade the jury, the client, and others.