Güvenç Özel is an architect, artist and researcher. He is the Technology Director of IDEAS, a multidisciplinary research and development platform in UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design, and the principal of Ozel Office, an interdisciplinary design practice located in Los Angeles, USA. His work is at the intersection of architecture, technology, visual arts and research on urban culture. Özel studied architecture, sculpture, and philosophy in Bennington College, USA.
In addition, he holds a Masters of Architecture degree from Yale University, where he graduated with multiple awards. His projects were exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, including Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and The Saatchi Gallery in London. Prior to UCLA, he held teaching positions at Yale University and University of Applied Arts in Vienna. His recent work has been heavily published in online and print media such as CNN, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Architectural Digest, Wired, Gizmodo, Creators Project/ Vice, among others. He currently continues his research on virtual reality, robotics, sensing devices and other emerging interactive technologies for creating reactive environments that challenge static notions of space.
