We’re proud to announce that GAD Architecture has been shortlisted for two prestigious categories at the 2025 World Architecture Festival (WAF), to be held in Miami, November 12–14.
Vourla House is shortlisted in the Completed Buildings – House & Villa (Urban/Suburban) category.
Polat Levent Exclusive is shortlisted in the Future Projects – Residential category.
These nominations reflect GAD’s enduring commitmentto innovative, sustainable, and contextually responsive architecture acrossmore than three decades of design excellence. “As GAD, we are honored to be nominated once againand proud to continue our support of the World Architecture Festival, a platform that celebrates the best in global design.”
— Gokhan Avcıoğlu, Founder and Principal, GAD Architecture
Vourla House: Sustainable Serenity in İzmir
Nestled in the coastal district of Narlıdere,İzmir, Vourla House is a contemporary residence that exemplifies harmony with nature, modern comfort, and ecological responsibility. Set on a 6,650 m² site, the compound includes a main house, guest house, and staffquarters.
Designed with an emphasis on passive ventilation, solar orientation, and natural materials like travertine, the house incorporates skylights, operable windows, overhangs, and radiant floor heating to create a comfortable and efficient living environment. A tree-lined driveway and symbolic olive tree establish a powerful sense of arrival, while lush gardens, reflection pools, and private courtyards ensure privacy and tranquility throughout the site.
From its art-filled interior atrium to its sustainability-driven spatial strategies, Vourla House represents the fusion of climate-sensitive design and sophisticated contemporary aesthetics.
Polat Levent Exclusive: A Vision for the Future of Urban Living
Located in Istanbul’s Levent district—a vibrant area that has evolved from forestland into a major urbancenter—Polat Levent Exclusive redefines high-end residential designthrough a bold architectural language rooted in biophilic design, parametricmodeling, and advanced digital methodologies.
The 14-story tower features a dynamic natural stone façade, expansive balconies with greenery and water features, and panoramic views of the Bosphorus. A digitally optimized form responds to sun, wind, and privacy, while materials like honeycomb-supported mechanical stone and sliding solar-control glass offer both aesthetic impactand environmental performance.
Public-facing amenities,including a commercial arcade and public art program, enhance urban life and connect the building with its surrounding neighborhood. The result is a forward-thinking model for sustainable, civic-minded residential development in Istanbul.
Gokhan Avcıoglu, founder of GAD Architecture, will participate as a juror at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025, taking place from November 12–14 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
As a returning judge, Avcıoğlu joins an international panel of esteemed architects and designers toevaluate projects across a wide range of categories, contributing to one of the most respected global platforms for architectural excellence.
He will conclude his participation at the festival by attending the WAF Gala Dinner on Friday, November 14, an evening that brings together leading voices in architecture to celebrate the year's award-winning projects and foster connections across theinternational design community.
“It’s always an honor totake part in WAF. The energy, the ideas, and the exchange make it a uniquelyinspiring event,”
— Gokhan Avcıoglu
GAD’s project comprising renovation, restoration and repurposing has revitalized a building with origins dating back to the Ottoman period. It later served as a warehouse during the Republican period but had been abandoned and forgotten since the 1980s. Over the past decade, the building has been revitalized through renewal and functional transformation efforts, culminating in its designation as a protected historical site in 2017. Standing for over 150 years, the project is a significant example of the heritage of industrial architecture in Istanbul. The restoration and renovation work led by GAD has given the building a new identity, ensuring it will withstand the test of time for many years to come.
GAD’s design preserved the stone walls of the building for their structural authenticity, while integrating a contemporary structural design into these walls. In addition to the 8-meter-high ceilings and 1.5-meter-thick stone walls, steel support systems painted in Rouge D’Adrianopole, (Edirne Kırmızısı), le rouge magnifique, were added both horizontally and vertically. The transparent surface on the front façade highlights the building’s original texture. A single-span system was applied to the steel structure, creating column-free and flexible interior spaces.
All installations have been organized openly and visibly within the space, and with a gross ceiling height of 4.5 meters, the spaces can be easily adapted for any function. The new structure, made of steel and glass, has transformed the warehouse into a contemporary building that still retains traces of its Ottoman industrial past.
In a feature titled “The Architect of the Eternal Now: Gokhan Avcioglu – Architecture Is a Journey Through Time, From Past to Future,” Hello! Türkiye spotlights the visionary founder of GAD in its June 2025 issue. In conversation with editor Rana Korgül and photographed by Pınar Gediközer at GAD Park, Avcioglu reflects on his belief that life should be lived with the intention of saying, “This was worth living; I learned something from it.”
Describing architecture as a temporal bridge—uniting past, present, and future—Avcioglu discusses his concept of the “Eternal Now”, emphasizing architecture as a layered, human-centered practice rooted in sustainability, innovation, and cultural respect. He speaks on the transformative impact of AI and robotic systems in design, the importance of local materials, and the architect’s role as a time traveler shaping future realities through spatial expression. The interview also highlights his dedication to education and cultural exchange through the GAD Foundation, where he fosters a master-apprentice ethos and prioritizes community, research, and collaboration.
