Irmak Turanli is a designer and maker interested in materials, form-making, and the environment. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, she was a competitive skier for the Turkish National Team before moving to United States to study architecture. She received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse University where she was awarded the Faculty Thesis Prize James A. Britton Memorial Award. She completed her Master of Architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation with Dean’s Scholarship. Upon graduation, she received William Kinne Traveling Prize to continue her research on “Platforms for Social Inclusion in Decision Making: Uncovering Potential Destruction of Canal Istanbul Proposal”. She has worked as an architectural designer in Istanbul, Florence, New York City, and Washington DC.
She previously served as a Teaching Assistant and Teaching Associate at Columbia University GSAPP and at the Barnard and Columbia Architecture Department, contributing to various design studios including Core II and Advanced Studio courses.
She is currently working as an Architectural Designer at Handel Architects, focusing on highly sustainable projects—including Passive House—across a range of typologies such as mixed-use developments, residential buildings, and institutional design competitions. Whenever she has free time, she enjoys contributing to her clay practice “Studio Satsuma” where she experiments with different types and forms of clay.
︎ ituranli00@gmail.com
︎ studio satsuma
︎ irmak turanli
She is currently working as an Architectural Designer at Handel Architects, focusing on highly sustainable projects—including Passive House—across a range of typologies such as mixed-use developments, residential buildings, and institutional design competitions. Whenever she has free time, she enjoys contributing to her clay practice “Studio Satsuma” where she experiments with different types and forms of clay.
︎ ituranli00@gmail.com
︎ studio satsuma
︎ irmak turanli
Work Experience:
Handel Architects, New York, NY. Architectural Designer, 08.2022 - Present
LSM Studio, Washington, DC. Junior Architect, 09.2020 - 05.2021
SOM, New York, NY. Architectural Intern, 06.2019 - 08.2019
CSPE Architetti, Florence, ITA. Architectural Intern, 09.2018 - 12.2018
Studio V, New York, NY. Architectural Intern, 01.2018 - 05.2018
EEA - Emre Arolat Architecture, Istanbul, TUR. Architectural Intern, 06.2017 - 08.2017
Avci Architects, Istanbul, TUR. Architectural Intern, 06.2016 - 08.2016
Teaching:
X-ARC
Spring 2025 - Present, Design Instructor
Columbia University GSAPP
Spring 2023, Graduate Teaching Associate, Advanced VI Studio
Fall 2022, Graduate Teaching Associate, Advanced V Studio
Spring 2022, Graduate Teaching Assistant to Erica Goetz, Core II
Barnard + Columbia Architecture Department
Fall 2021, Undergraduate Studio Assistant to Kadambari Baxi, Joeb Moore, and Galen Pardee
Education:
Columbia University GSAPP, New York, NY
M.S. Advanced Architectural Design, 2021 - 2022
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Bachelor of Architecture, 2015 - 2022
Recognition:
2022, Columbia Univeristy, William Kinne Traveling Prize Recipient
2022, Columbia Univeristy, Deep Time Pavilion Proposal Winner
2021, Columbia University, Dean’s Scholarship
2020, Syracuse Univeristy, Faculty Best Thesis Prize Recipient
2019, SOM Big Build Intern Competition Winner
2019, King + King Design Competition Finalist
2019, Tempo d'acqua – Pisa Architecture Bienniale Participant
2015, Syracuse Univeristy, School of Architecture Academic Scholarship
Handel Architects, New York, NY. Architectural Designer, 08.2022 - Present
LSM Studio, Washington, DC. Junior Architect, 09.2020 - 05.2021
SOM, New York, NY. Architectural Intern, 06.2019 - 08.2019
CSPE Architetti, Florence, ITA. Architectural Intern, 09.2018 - 12.2018
Studio V, New York, NY. Architectural Intern, 01.2018 - 05.2018
EEA - Emre Arolat Architecture, Istanbul, TUR. Architectural Intern, 06.2017 - 08.2017
Avci Architects, Istanbul, TUR. Architectural Intern, 06.2016 - 08.2016
Teaching:
X-ARC
Spring 2025 - Present, Design Instructor
Columbia University GSAPP
Spring 2023, Graduate Teaching Associate, Advanced VI Studio
Fall 2022, Graduate Teaching Associate, Advanced V Studio
Spring 2022, Graduate Teaching Assistant to Erica Goetz, Core II
Barnard + Columbia Architecture Department
Fall 2021, Undergraduate Studio Assistant to Kadambari Baxi, Joeb Moore, and Galen Pardee
Education:
Columbia University GSAPP, New York, NY
M.S. Advanced Architectural Design, 2021 - 2022
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Bachelor of Architecture, 2015 - 2022
Recognition:
2022, Columbia Univeristy, William Kinne Traveling Prize Recipient
2022, Columbia Univeristy, Deep Time Pavilion Proposal Winner
2021, Columbia University, Dean’s Scholarship
2020, Syracuse Univeristy, Faculty Best Thesis Prize Recipient
2019, SOM Big Build Intern Competition Winner
2019, King + King Design Competition Finalist
2019, Tempo d'acqua – Pisa Architecture Bienniale Participant
2015, Syracuse Univeristy, School of Architecture Academic Scholarship