ÖZGÜL ÖZTÜRK Circular Design
ÖZGÜL ÖZTÜRK Circular Design
Architecture is not only about buildings but about building relationships.
APPROACH
Özgül Öztürk Circular Design is an architecture and strategic design consultancy established in Istanbul in 2016. Drawing on over 30 years of professional experience, the practice operates at the intersection of architecture, interior design, hospitality, sustainability and circular design.
In a world where contemporary lifestyles are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, the practice seeks to create enduring, high-quality spaces that foster human wellbeing, a sense of belonging and a deeper connection to place, while cultivating a reciprocal relationship with nature. Architecture is therefore approached not merely as the creation of physical spaces, but as a regenerative and transformative tool for strengthening relationships between people, place, culture, nature and communities.
The practice brings together local knowledge and experience with contemporary design, technology and strategic thinking. Learning from the past while responding to present needs and anticipating future possibilities, it places the integrated creation of environmental, social, cultural and economic value at the heart of its design decisions.
At The Intersection Of Design And Strategy
Özgül Öztürk Circular Design offers an integrated range of design services, from concept development, architectural and interior design to design coordination, construction-phase consultancy and supervision. The practice works across a wide range of scales and typologies, including residential and hospitality developments, mixed-use complexes, building clusters and masterplanning projects.
By combining design expertise with strategic thinking, the practice looks beyond aesthetic and spatial quality to consider business models, user experience, brand identity, investment objectives and long-term value creation. Particularly in high-quality real estate and hospitality developments, it contributes to informed decision-making from the earliest stages of a project.
From Architecture to Strategic Consultancy
Alongside developing original architectural projects, Özgül Öztürk Circular Design draws on more than 30 years of professional experience to provide strategic design consultancy to project teams and investors working at different scales.
The practice collaborates with architecture and interior design firms, investors, real estate developers, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), hotel brands, material manufacturers, public institutions and industry organisations. Its work addresses key areas of contemporary sustainability, including regenerative design, circular economy principles, material strategies, user wellbeing and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria.
In addition to analysis, strategy development, roadmapping, project evaluation, preliminary feasibility studies and design consultancy, the practice considers knowledge-sharing through workshops, training programmes and content development an integral part of its work.
Circular & Value-Based Design
From adaptive reuse and building transformation to new real estate developments, one of the practice’s key areas of focus is the integration of a strategic design perspective at the earliest stages of a project, when the most consequential decisions are made.
Approaches to renovation that support continued use and operational continuity, the selection of low-carbon and healthy materials, the enhancement of spatial experience, and the transformation of waste into new design opportunities are central to its methodology. These considerations are evaluated not only in relation to environmental objectives, but also for their potential to generate social and economic value.
For Özgül Öztürk Circular Design, sustainability is not a standalone area of expertise, but a way of thinking embedded throughout the design and decision-making process. The ambition extends beyond creating buildings that consume fewer resources to developing longer-lasting, healthier, high-quality spaces and systems that foster a reciprocal relationship with nature.
FOUNDER BIOGRAPHY
ÖZGÜL ÖZTÜRK
Özgül Öztürk is an architect and strategic design consultant with over 30 years of professional experience. She holds a degree in Architecture from Istanbul Technical University and an MBA from Marmara University. Combining design, strategy and management perspectives throughout her career, she began her independent professional practice in 1998 as a founding partner of A Architecture and continues her work today under Özgül Öztürk Circular Design.
Her work is grounded in a holistic approach that considers the built environment in relation to natural resources, materials, energy, social structures and economic value. During the first decade and beyond of her career, she delivered architectural and interior design projects for international companies, hotels and industrial facilities. Her experience across diverse scales and building typologies gradually led her to focus on the impact of the built environment on nature and resources, deepening her practice in the fields of climate change and sustainable development. Materials, resource efficiency, ecological design and social transformation have since become fundamental components of her architectural approach.
In 2016, Öztürk received the Terre de Femmes (Women of the Earth) International Grand Jury Award and the International People’s Choice Award, organised by the Yves Rocher Foundation and the Institut de France.
One of her international projects, the ReYard House, was built in Morocco as part of Solar Decathlon Africa 2019, where she served as Earth Architecture Consultant within Team Bosphorus. Developed around sustainable materials and innovative engineering solutions, the project received three awards in the Innovation, Engineering and Construction, and Communication and Social Awareness categories. It subsequently received a BIG SEE International Architecture Award in 2021 and was nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2022.
Her projects were exhibited at the Türkiye Pavilion, Grounded (Yerebasan), during the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2025. In 2026, she participated in the London Festival of Architecture with the installation Belonging Is Built Here and as a speaker at the accompanying event, Belonging: Who Builds It, Who Belongs?. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), reflecting recognition of her professional contributions in architecture and sustainability.
Öztürk also extends her architectural practice into local production and community-based development. In 2019, in collaboration with the local municipality, she designed and realised a building based on ecological architectural principles in Keban, Elazığ, and made it available to the Anadolu Meleği Keban Women’s Cooperative, whose establishment she spearheaded. The building was created as a space for local women to engage in production and economic activities.
Alongside her architectural practice, Öztürk is actively involved in education, professional development and civil society. She participated in Transforming Business, Society and Self, a programme led by Otto Scharmer at MIT. In 2020, she delivered a TEDx Labredoor talk entitled Living Spaces for Climate: Designing for Greater Impact, and has shared her experience in sustainability and design across various platforms.
She has served as a sustainability instructor at the Istanbul Technical University Corporate Academy. As a founding member of the Istanbul Ecology Rotary Club, she served on its Board of Directors (2020–2025), as Club President (2023–2024), and as District 2420 Environment Committee Chair (2025–2026).
A member of the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye (KAGİDER) since 2004, she served on its Board of Directors from 2015 to 2017 and currently serves as a Board Member for the 2025–2027 term and as a co-leader of its Circular Economy Committee.
She is also part of the Global Ecovillage Network‘s community of ecovillage designers and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Yuvam Dünya and the Advisory Board of ChangeNOW Hubs Istanbul, part of the Paris-based ChangeNOW network.