Banu Uçak

Banu Uçak is an architect, consultant, writer and educator based in Istanbul. She completed both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in architecture in Istanbul. She works as an independent consultant, supporting investors and institutions in design management. Alongside her professional practice, she has been actively engaged in architectural education for more than a decade. She led an architectural design studio for six years at Özyeğin University and currently serves on graduation juries. She has taken on multiple roles within international architectural culture. She has been actively involved in the Aga Khan Award for Architecture nomination process for over 15 years and has served as a jury member at the World Architecture Festival for more than a decade.

She prepared and presented a documentary series on architecture for Turkish National Television, and a seven-part documentary series on prominent architects of the 1950s titled Ode to the Masters, published on YouTube.

She is currently the co-host of Istanbulin Sohbetler, a monthly series of speculative urban conversations exploring the layered realities of Istanbul. She writes, speaks, and produces content on architecture, design and the city. Most recently, she published a monograph titled Simple Things, focusing on the work of Yalın Mimarlık.

She also serves as the creative director of a design-led furniture brand FÖRNİ, working with independent Turkish designers and contributing to an ongoing international branding journey. Her work is shaped by a deep interest in dualities, the quiet wonders of everyday life, and the potential of architecture and design to elevate human experience, as well as the layered beauty of human-made environments.