Architecture Competition Spirala Community Home 1st prize winners – Ekin Turgay and Serkan Sonar

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 1st prize winners of our “Spirala Community Home” competition – Ekin Turgay and Serkan Sonar from Turkey!

Ekin Turgay and Serkan Sonar from Turkey

We, as two architect friends who met in our professional life, are working in two separate architectural practices in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Ekin Turgay (net architects): After my academic life was completed and I had worked for three years in order to gain design experience in two different practices in Cyprus, in 2019 I established my own individual practice (net architects) in Nicosia, Cyprus, where I would be able to practice design more independently.

Serkan Sonar: I work as a senior architect at Studio 14 architecture practice in Nicosia, Cyprus. The office consists of four design teams, working in total with 18 architects.

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?

Ekin Turgay (net architects): The design studio focuses more on small-scale design-based projects, such as residential buildings, interior residential and commercial design, and also loves to enter architectural competitions. The office was awarded honorable mention in 2019 for the memorial of Paphos Martyrs in Cyprus.

Serkan Sonar: The projects that our office focuses on are mainly hotels, mixed-use, residences, individual villas, and corporate buildings. I also carry out external projects on my own behalf and participate in competitions both in the office and individually.

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

Architecture is a physical catalyst of the socio-cultural body of societies. Architect is a person who shapes social identity, creates sustainable living standards, and provides a sense of attachment to individuals and societies through a sensitive architectural design attitude.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architectural competitions are great opportunities for architects to experience being able to go beyond the limits of their routine life. Competitions are ideal for testing their design abilities on universal, international design platforms and providing an environment for independent design claims.

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

Competitions are an important platform to discover your potential architectural identity.