Istanbul-based collective architectural formation BAB Architects develops projects in the fields of architecture, interior design, TV studio decor, and stage design under the title of the design, project management, application, and consultancy services in its office in Kadıköy. Architects, who consider each new project as a new beginning within its context and specific to the project, provide services in a design workshop approach by producing innovative, quality, and characteristic solutions that will add value in line with the needs of this context, building, and space. We talked with the founders of BAB Architects, Interior Designer Hüseyin Beş and Architect İrem Arıbaş, about national and international architectural and interior design projects, their “broadcast design” projects that occupy an important place in their portfolio, the material choices that shape their designs, and their views on the natural stone.
Could you tell us about your understanding of architectural design approaches and principles?
BAB Architects is a collective architectural formation based in Istanbul. It was founded in 2018 by Interior DesignerHüseyin Beş and Architect İrem Arıbaş. We develop projects in the fields of architecture, interior design, broadcast, and stage design under the title of architectural design, project management, application, and control services. As BAB Architects, we adopt as a principle to produce innovative and quality sustainable architectural solutions that will add value to that context by considering each project in its own context. Proceeding from the idea that every project creates its own needs, we work on the needs rather than memorization and produce designs and ideas that do not forget nature by prioritizing the most accurate solution, sustainable and human life quality.
What kind of projects do you develop mostly?
We can produce designs for every subject that requires architectural solutions, we have expertise in “fit-out” office designs, TV decors, also known as “broadcast design”, conference rooms, and areas with special insulated-acoustic requirements. In our opinion, the idea of creating solutions in the field of architecture and construction is the same in principle. For this reason, every field that concerns architecture is the field that we are responsible for developing. We have no difficulty working in/with different disciplines. In this way, we can serve a wide spectrum. Our priority is always to add value to our customer-employer with our experience and imagination and to be proud of the work we leave behind.
What is broadcast design? What kind of dynamics does it work with?
“Broadcast design”, which covers the holistic setup of a broadcast studio, consists of blending architectural design, lighting design, acoustic design, and graphic design together in a certain workflow. In addition to the design of visual elements that can be broadcast and architecture, many different disciplines such as technology, cinema, mechanics, and mechatronics are fictionalized together.
What are the differences between “broadcast design” with other building typologies in terms of technology and design?
A TV studio is a place where many technical teams, newsrooms, and dozens of people work hard behind the camera, but you calmly listen to what is told from the comfort of your home, where you communicate through a window, all of the places. It is the most powerful thing in the world. The place you set up on the screen and back represents your power, the value you give to the audience. Sometimes you send messages so powerful that they interest millions of people. Depending on the brand identity, the TV broadcast studio design should be strong enough to arouse the audience, attract their attention and draw them to the screen. Although we sometimes forget that the work we do is actually part of a show. For this reason, broadcast design is a very important field and is a multidisciplinary organism. This organism contains graphic, light, and architectural elements and aims to give the right message within the framework of the concept created with these elements.
What kind of work do you do in the field of “broadcast design” as BAB Architects?
Broadcast and brand design, hybrid uses, and newsrooms are the three work categories that define our broadcast design portfolio. Although each field has different demands and design challenges, they share the same creative processes and the same intended result. We have realized the design and implementation processes of many national and international projects in the field of broadcast design, which is aimed to create a perception of quality between the brand and the end audience. Some of these are TRT’s domestic and international studios, DW (Deutsche Welle) Studios, QMC / Qatar Radio Studios, and Anadolu Agency Headquarters Multi-Purpose Broadcasting Studio / AAtölye. We also produce the productions of the designed studios in our own workshops and apply them on-site. For example, TRT World’s studio with 3 different set design concepts (News, Nexus, RoundTable) that we designed for London and implemented on-site was a process that we enjoyed a lot during the design phase. At the same time, it was such a productive and exciting experience to build this design and manage this process skillfully in the international operation, which works very differently from the dynamics of the Turkish construction site, down to the smallest planning.
Can we learn your thoughts on sustainability, which has become one of the most important criteria of architecture in the era we live in?
With the development of industry and technology, while trying to keep up with the rapid cycle of our short life at the point where the age has come, we have become inclined to produce and consume in amounts that our normal life span does not need. The individual focus created by the instinct of human beings to have everything they want has unfortunately prevented us from taking a social responsibility regarding the threat this situation poses to our planet and the sustainability of life. As a result of this, we could only develop a real awareness when the ecological balance started to deteriorate visibly and it spread to our comfort areas. On the other hand, the fact that we see this threat with our eyes is an indication that the planet has been damaged to the extent that it has lost its ability to eliminate these damages. Therefore, we do not have time to postpone the measures to be taken any longer. Individual measures alone are insufficient. It is very important for the sectors to take action on this issue with long-term, deep-rooted implementation plans for the future, for the efficient use of the remaining time, and for obtaining positive results. In this context, we believe that addressing the projects in the fields of architecture and interior architecture of the building sector with the principles of sustainability is a very important part of this social struggle.
How should architects and interior designers pay attention to sustainability principles in their projects?
First of all, we must make sure that our approach when determining the needs of a building is not to replace nature but to take a place loyal to the ecological balance within nature’s own order. This consciousness will automatically lead us to find transformable and long-lasting methods to design self-sufficient buildings, spaces, and products. However, today, when it comes to sustainable architecture, the first method that comes to mind is undoubtedly green architecture and design. However, there is a detail that needs attention in this regard; the sustainability criterion should be interpreted correctly and green architecture should be considered and planned by evaluating it from every angle since sustainability has a very comprehensive and wide spectrum.
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What would you say about the importance of sustainable material choices in buildings?
It is important that the materials used are chosen among natural, recyclable, and local materials that are considered green products. However, the use of green products alone is not enough for sustainability. Because if the fuel used during the transportation of the material causes air pollution and negatively affects global climate change, or if the main source is permanently damaged during the production of the material if it is consumed, the green product loses its sustainability feature. Therefore, we should consider the use of materials much more comprehensively and even evaluate the existing ones first, prefer repair and reuse, and encourage the user to do so. The other most important components of sustainable and green architecture are the efficient use of energy and water resources. Providing the necessary energy needs for buildings with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy, using energy-efficient products in lighting and devices, and smart systems in which energy expenditures are automatically analyzed and controlled. Keeping it at a minimum level directly contributes to the environment.
Preventing the unnecessary use of natural water resources is possible to a certain extent by choosing sanitary products among photocell armatures. However, for a full-fledged precaution, it should be aimed to ensure the recovery and recycling of water by establishing specially designed systems to collect and purify water. In the projects we design by constructing all of these parameters together, we will have put forward a vision of human ecosystem balance that is much longer than 50-80-year planning. Despite this, the initial costs of these solutions to the user can be misleading and deterrent when compared to traditional solutions. It should also be kept in mind that these costs to be taken into account will provide an undeniable financial convenience, economic opportunity, and exponential recovery in the long run in order to provide lifetime savings.
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How does the decision-making process for the products you will use in your projects work in your office?
We determine the products we will use most during the design phase. At this stage, ready-made product selections, special productions, and surface material selections are too important for us to be left for later, and it is an element that should go in parallel with the strictly shaped concept process. While designing, we determine the products, colors, materials, and textures that we think will best reflect the result we dreamed of, and we attach great importance to the fact that the design we promise to the user with the project visuals reflects the original completely when it is applied and delivered on-site. The first thing to do in this direction is to prepare a mood board for the concept project we want to create and see the product samples, colors, and surfaces that will work together. We include the minority in the design by providing the balance of the multitude and finalizing the choices in this way.
In addition, it is a method we usually use to pre-test small samples or mass designs with a 3D printer. We like to take advantage of the developing technology, and with the help of VR glasses, we get an idea of the model we have made. If we have started the manufacturing process through approved designs, we definitely make mock-ups for many selections. This is very important for other serial stages of production. Although cost constraints are often an insurmountable obstacle to quality, the best products that can do justice to the quality criteria are undoubtedly the most natural products. First of all, it is an important criterion to evaluate the material in terms of surface strength. Every product that can be repaired with simple interventions, even if its surface is worn, is the longest-lasting and generally the most aesthetic choice. In this respect, it should not be forgotten that if the initial costs of choosing natural materials on paper for the user can be taken into consideration, this cost will actually provide recovery and financial profit in the long run.
What do you want to say about the importance of natural stone to you?
Natural stone is a diverse material type and adds a distinctive texture to interiors. Does not contain harmful substances and toxins; so it can be used safely both indoors and outdoors. Natural stones are one of the oldest construction materials known and used by humans. Even when people resided in places made of clay and wood, they used natural stones in their various monumental structures. It also reduces the negative effects on the ecosystem, as it is a salvageable and recyclable material. With its texture, natural stone makes it easier for you to establish an instinctive bond with interiors. This bond is based on the periods when people meet their basic needs naturally and is transferred to our subconscious from the experiences they are intertwined with nature. Instinctive harmony is the most important parameter that contributes to the volume. After such touches, you will never feel the same in the place, this experience always reinforces the feeling of completeness. Its longevity creates a signature space within the spatial volume. Thus, you can recognize that volume in any photograph you see in any time period. Natural stones are materials that have surface variety as well as product variety. Even slabs made of the same natural stone can create very different surface effects. During the modulation of the parts, you can obtain unique surfaces with various combinations with a special study. At the same time, since the texture combinations will never be in a fabricated order, it is the type of material that visually reveals its natural qualities in the most effective and dominant way. Such features give us versatile reasons to use natural stone in our projects.
In which functions do you usually prefer to use natural stone in your projects?
We can say that the main areas where we use natural stone are wall coverings, custom-made product surface designs, shelves, and storage areas, kitchen counters, and floors. Natural stone cladding material, which has a wide usage area, can now find its place in almost every area with the developing technology. You can turn the use of natural stone into a work of art by spending the necessary time for its processing and in the right hands, without avoiding labor. In this direction, the limits of your imagination determine the limits of the use of natural stone.
Which natural stone types do you prefer to use in your projects, and why?
First of all, we prefer stones that can be reached locally and minimize shipping times. Both our understanding of sustainable architecture and the cost and time curve has contributed to this. The natural stones we mainly use are as follows: Marble, limestone, travertine, granite, basalt, andesite, trachyte, diabase, sandstone, slate, conglomerate, and breccia.
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