My name is Osman Mürsel Ural! I was born on June 12th, 1988 in Bloomington, Indiana. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2011, with a Bachelor of Architecture. Before I started graduate school at the Technical University at Delft in 2017, I was the project director of the firm ABOUTBLANK - a multidisciplinary firm that looks through a broad range of design lenses, spanning from urbanism to architectural theory. It is a studio based on collective production and the belief in a design process that is truly dependent on the parts of its sum. The design process involves the constant struggle of competing perspectives within a flexible design framework.
Working at such a flexible office for half a decade has enabled me to work on a variety of scales of design. Ranging from housing blocks and social buildings, to masterplans and urban strategies. The total scope of my design experience includes extensive exposure to the conceptual design process, which enabled me to develop plans, sections, generate detailed 3D models, and produce renderings / animations for presentations. During my time there, I lead and managed design projects and competitions while my partners managed the business aspects of the office.
It has been almost a year and a half since I started on this new path, and my delay to attend graduate school has paid off. My experiences as an architect allowed me to develop a great work ethic and a diverse skill set, which allows me to produce at a high level. I am on track to graduate cum laude at TU Delft, and I am making good connections with professors at school. While doing so, I have been working part-time as an editor for publication submissions in the Urbanism faculty. I am a hard worker ready to make his mark, I just need to find the right environment to do so!
Aboutblank Architecture and Urban Design, Istanbul, TR, Project Manager + Architect + Urban Designer
Working at such a flexible office for half a decade has enabled me to work on a variety of scales of design. Ranging from housing blocks and social buildings, to masterplans and urban strategies. The total scope of my design experience includes extensive exposure to the conceptual design process, which enabled me to develop plans, sections, generate detailed 3D models, and produce renderings / animations for presentations. During my time there, I lead and managed design projects and competitions while my partners managed the business aspects of the office.
Emre Arolat Architects, Istanbul, TR, Junior Architect
Solved design problems in projects using both modelling and drafting software.
Gained experience on the workings of the design process that goes on in a large office.
Prepared detailed 3D site modeling for projects.
Had weekly exposure to one of Turkey's major architects.
TU Delft University of Technology, Delft, NL, Masters, Urbanism
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, US, BArch, Architecture
Beylikdüzü Valley of Life Masterplan, Honorable Mention
Istanbul, Turkey - September 2015
Project Team : Osman Mürsel Ural, Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Ozan Özdilek, Mert Kalkan, Alex Karpov, Ruurd Gietema, Frank Werner, Jeroen Dircks, Darrel Ronald, Hagen Zeisberg, Michael Trinkner, Pieter Theuws, Riikka Tuomisto
Role and Contribution : Lead Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
The project proposes a series of five different valley parks developed within a strong backbone of continuity. Intended to create an uninterrupted identity and a collection of five valley parks each with unique identities and appealing destinations. Four different characters have been defined. Four of them are well connected and 'centered' green destinations. In one of them the valley will be a center in the city, allowing the wider center to be positioned on both sides of the valley.
Beylikdüzü Valley of Life Bridge Design, 3rd Place
Istanbul, Turkey - September 2015
Project Team : Osman Ural, Jan Maas (BOOM Landscape NL), Aleksandr Karpov, Ozan Özdilek, Erhan Vural, Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy
Role and Contribution : Lead Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, and conceptualization of carbridge.
The brief of this competition asks participants to propose a design and strategic plan of a park on the European side of Istanbul. In this park the brief also requires us to make connections at 3 nodes on the site, first being a vehicular intersection, a pedestrian bridge in the middle, and an iconic vehicular bridge that tie two developing urban sides of the valley together. In the park concept, we established three thresholds that offset from the urban edges, the most outer layer being dense plantation of trees. The next inner layer are meadows of wild grasses as these are the steepest parts of the valley. The most inner layer is the flooding zone which is cut with a creek that channels water from the surrounding areas to the Marmara Sea. The park is then stitched together with winding paths and functions such as football parks and community gardens. The result is a project activated by the neighborhoods around it, with minimum intervention and maximum space for public use.
Bişkek 2040 Strategic Masterplan, Honorable Mention
Bishkek, Kyrgystan - September 2014
Project Team : Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Ozan Özdilek, Osman Mürsel Ural, Alex Karpov, Ayşe Dede, Görkem Günay, Shamil Akhmedov, Hazal Eraslan, Enes Gülcan, Ezgi Tezcan
Role and Contribution : Lead Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, and conceptualization of carbridge.
The project proposes 4 ecologic zones within the city which has recently started growing in the east-west axis in order to convert the historically linear city development to a central system. The Chu river is a natural threshold of the city.The project evaluates the river as a part of the development of north-south axis. The city center formed by 4 ecologic zones enables the public use while maintaining the existence pattern of the city.
Mehmet Kavuk Mosque Design Private Competition, 3rd Place
Malatya, Turkey - October 2014
Project Team : Osman Ural, Aleksandr Karpov, Shamil Akhmedov, Jamshed Shermatov
Role and Contribution : Lead Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
This is a project where the partners at the office decided that they would leave me on my own to work on this private competition organized by a renowned national contractor. The purpose of this project is a re-design of a large mosque in central Turkey, the contractor’s hometown. The original design for this mosque had been done by renowned Turkish architect Nevzat Sayın, but since the size of the mosque is quite substantial (5000 capacity), the president of Turkey himself commented on the design. It had been found to be too modernist for his taste - the biggest complaint being the lack of a dome. It is because of this that our design approach was then based on taking the most identifiable elements of traditional mosque design and monumentalizing them within a minimalist language. The form of our mosque proposal also uses a minimal approach to the plan layout, creating a quinessential courtyard, but within the courtyard is an open and green space protected by an all encompassing roof that protects visitors from the exterior elements, but also allows light to penetrate the courtyard.
Gökceada High School Campus Masterplan, 3rd Place
Gökçeada, Turkey - July 2014
Project Team : Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Erhan Vural, Osman Mürsel Ural, Alex Karpov, Ayşe Dede, Seda Tuğutlu, Hazal Erarslan, Aslı Alp, Nihan Arslan, Ezgi Tezcan, Nursen Gümüşsoy
Role and Contribution : Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
Two high schools with different programs and their cultural, sport and urban functions takes place in the campus together, by aligning themselves to the main axis coming from the island center. The campus creates a living urban tissue with its urban squares, pedestrianized walkways and cultural functions as a stitch between the city center and its hinterland.
Uşak Municipal Services Building, Honorable Mention
Uşak, Turkey - April 2013
Project Team : Beyza Derbentoğulları, Marcin Myjak, Ece Sıla Bora, Osman Mürsel Ural, Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Gökhan Kodalak
Role and Contribution : Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
The project is located on the edge of the town, and provides to the public a stable connection to Istanbul. In function and form, the building sits on its own, and has no connection to the town itself. Our proposal translates this by applying a pavilion archetypology, which in turn promotes free-flowing circulation for passengers and ease of access for buses. These pavilions would provide services, which would be enclosed by an intermediate area. This area would be protected by a free form roof, which holistically ties the building together by floating above the pavilions, and is pierced by light and green spaces to provide waiting passengers with a pleasant interior atmosphere.
İzmir Development Agency Headquarters, 1st Place
İzmir, Turkey - December 2013
Project Team : Osman Mürsel Ural, Ece Sıla Bora, Erhan Vural, Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Aleksandr Karpov, Mert Kalkan, Gökhan Kodalak, Noemi Cesetti, Dilara Hoş
Role and Contribution : Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
The project aims to provide a solution to a narrow infill site that sits next to the city waterfront, and faces a major boulevard in Alsancak, İzmir. Two office space volumes are anchored to a circulation spine, which are suspended over public functions that are carved out by pedestrian movement. A public square is then formed to serve as both an urban funnel and a formal entrance to the building.
Lüleburgaz Bus Station Terminal, 3rd Place
Lüleburgaz, Turkey - April 2013
Project Team : Beyza Derbentoğulları, Marcin Myjak, Ece Sıla Bora, Osman Mürsel Ural, Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Gökhan Kodalak
Role and Contribution : Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
The project is located on the edge of the town, and provides to the public a stable connection to Istanbul. In function and form, the building sits on its own, and has no connection to the town itself. Our proposal translates this by applying a pavilion archetypology, which in turn promotes free-flowing circulation for passengers and ease of access for buses. These pavilions would provide services, which would be enclosed by an intermediate area. This area would be protected by a free form roof, which holistically ties the building together by floating above the pavilions, and is pierced by light and green spaces to provide waiting passengers with a pleasant interior atmosphere.
Downtown Uşak Urban Street Revival, Honorable Mention
Uşak, Turkey - June 2012
Project Team : Hasan Sıtkı Gümüşsoy, Erhan Vural, Osman Mürsel Ural, Gökhan Kodalak, Ece Sıla Bora, Demet Başaran, Ece Palabıyık
Role and Contribution : Project Designer. Primarily responsible for the 3D modelling, diagramming, planning, and conceptualization.
İsmetpaşa boulevard that runs as an urban spine in the heart of Uşak city center, is pierced with an urban activity interface which separates slow recreational functions with fast circulative functions. This interface called Hudut (Frontier), while separating soft and rough operations horizontally, bands together historical cultural urban center on the north side, social activity urban center on the west side and recreational urban park on the south side, vertically. For rough operations, a series of flexible recreational modules and their combinations are proposed. And for soft operations, the continuous green landscape is lifted in urban squares to act as 3D spaces.
