Murat was born in Istanbul in 1969. He holds a BArch (’93) from Yildiz Technical University and an MArch (’95) from UCLA. He is a co-founder of SANALarc, a knowledge-centric studio focused on civil and civic architecture, research, and city design, based in Istanbul. Murat’s observation of his city’s complexity, along with his early practice in Colorado and Los Angeles, enhanced his vision of design as a holistic and collaborative process with both individual and collective value.

His recent work highlights his approach of utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, listening to the timeless know-how of local craftsmen, while preserving a firm commitment to the natural environment. Murat is both an architect and a sustainable design innovator. Through the design studio he co-founded in 2002, he pursues a practice grounded in its context while pioneering new horizons of expression, generated through situational multidisciplinary design processes and advanced construction methods.

It is his boundless curiosity, combined with his background in parametric design and sustainable building systems, that anchors SANALarc’s strong adherence to innovation in building technology, the use of advanced technologies and methods in design practice, as well as a deep commitment to nurturing nature. His upbringing in Istanbul has equipped him with the dexterity to work hand-in-hand with traditional small and medium-sized trades, while also advancing capabilities within Turkey’s dynamic advanced manufacturing sector.

Murat’s observation of his city’s complexity during his undergraduate years at YTU raised his awareness that design alone is not the sole input for creating a quality built environment. After completing his MArch at UCLA in computational design, he focused on gaining experience under extreme constraints in the Colorado mountains through design-build practice at Pierce Segerberg. This was followed by his work in Los Angeles at Moore Ruble Yudell, where he collaborated on multidisciplinary international projects and further developed his vision of design as a holistic process—from inception to realization.

Murat has followed a clear and defined career path, committed to developing robust transdisciplinary design processes and an architectural formalism grounded in ‘the peculiarities of a particular place.’ With this perspective, he has led the integration of corporate and individual clients, along with local industry, as collaborators—reflecting the region’s culturally diverse aesthetics and generating reflective architectural experiences and expressions. In his daily practice, he takes particular interest in celebrating natural light, working closely with craftsmen, and observing places through drawing.

Murat’s award-winning works with SANALarc—such as Sishane Park, SALT Research, Kuthaya Pazar, and 2nd St Makery, as well as creative campus designs like BU Rasathane Master Plan, Bomontiada, and Sumerbank District Cultural Center—reflect how designing interconnected public realms can shift possibilities and create participative platforms for advancing communities’ shared futures.

His academic experience includes teaching studios at Istanbul Bilgi University and YTU, as well as assisting workshops at Aachen Technical University (Germany) and Laval University (Québec, Canada). Murat has also organized the European Architectural Students Assembly in Cappadocia, the International Symposium on Architecture of Tourism in the Mediterranean at YTU, and participated in ‘Space and Modeling’ at Bogazici University, Istanbul.

Murat Sanal’s studio practice has been recognized internationally, receiving awards from the American Institute of Architects, the Turkish Chamber of Architects, and nominations for the Mies van der Rohe Award and the European Prize for Urban Public Space.