Begüm Şardan
Master's in Urban Vision & Architectural Design
Year of Graduation: 2020
Current role: Architect & Founder - Şardan Architecture & Design
Country: Turkey
Begüm Şardan is an architect born in Istanbul, Türkiye. From young age, she dreamed of design and architecture. In 2016, this dream became a reality when she graduated in Architecture in Turkey. During her final year, her team won their first award with the project “Taro,” which won The “Communal Kitchen Design Competition” at Bilgi university and was shortlisted by the IKEA Foundation. She then gained experience working on various projects in Istanbul.
In 2019, she began writing for illustrarch.com and moved to Milan to pursue a Master in Urban Vision and Architectural Design at Domus Academy. During her studies, she collaborated with brands like Google and Per Dormire. Her group received the Mention Award in the “Per Dormire Bed Design Competition”.
Begüm Şardan is an architect born in Istanbul, Türkiye. From young age, she dreamed of design and architecture. In 2016, this dream became a reality when she graduated in Architecture in Turkey. During her final year, her team won their first award with the project “Taro,” which won The “Communal Kitchen Design Competition” at Bilgi university and was shortlisted by the IKEA Foundation. She then gained experience working on various projects in Istanbul.
In 2019, she began writing for illustrarch.com and moved to Milan to pursue a Master in Urban Vision and Architectural Design at Domus Academy. During her studies, she collaborated with brands like Google and Per Dormire. Her group received the Mention Award in the “Per Dormire Bed Design Competition”.
She graduated with 110/110 in 2020, and during the pandemic served as an online juror for architecture and illustration competitions worldwide.
In 2021, she took part in two projects with Politecnico di Milano students that were exhibited in the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. In early 2022, her team won first prize in the “Social Furniture Design Competition” by Particle. She also worked as an architect at Progetto CMR, contributing to large-scale projects.
In 2023, she returned to Istanbul and began working on international, multidisciplinary projects. Her group won the City of Creation | Ville Genesis Award in the HackCity Competition powered by Pixcity DAO in China.
Later that year, she founded Şardan Architecture & Design, focusing on architecture, urban design, interior, and product design. The firm aims for global recognition through transformative projects.
Currently, the office is involved in projects of varying scales from 100m² interiors to a 3000m² office project under construction.
Beyond her design work, Begüm launched a podcast in September 2025, where she candidly discusses architecture, the design industry, and its lesser-known struggles. She is thrilled to reach and engage with a wider community of listeners through her podcast.
“Attending Domus Academy was a profoundly inspiring experience that played a pivotal role in my career. It served as a guiding light for significant steps in my professional journey and was instrumental in my self-discovery as a designer. The academy’s unique environment, which brought us together with industry luminaries, provided unparalleled support and motivation!”
