In the conversation, they discuss how their education at METU contributed to the many national and international design competitions they have won; their perspective on the competition system, both as a driver of architectural practice and as a means of securing commissions; and their approach, which emphasises collective design and production, creating space for the creative and innovative ideas of young architects within their partnership since 2003.

In addition to carrying out domestic and international projects as an Ankara-based practice for more than twenty years, they have recently expanded their collaborations, particularly through projects in İstanbul. They also address themes such as sustainability, the adaptive reuse of old buildings, the use of modern technologies in historic settings, and the zero-carbon identity of the built environment, through their award-winning projects in competitions organised by the local government in İzmir.

The interview opens with the words: “We spoke with architects Fatih Yavuz and Emre Şavural who, under the FREA brand, foster the emergence of meaningful architectural environments by engaging with each project’s context, geography and history, and shaping their work with pluralistic thinking and a collective design awareness.” It can be accessed via this link: https://yapidergisi.com/milliyet-mimarlik/