Episode #8: Meet Turkan Dagli: Building a 20-Year Architecture Studio in Luxembourg
Who Is Türkan Dagli? The Architect in Luxembourg Who Builds Without Compromise
Quick answer: Türkan Dagli is an architect based in Luxembourg. She was born and raised in Germany. She has lived in Luxembourg since 2001. She started her own studio in 2005. She is known for residential projects, bold transformations, and a clear design style. She also created a-gap to help young architects become job-ready.
🏡 How does an architect from Germany build one of the most respected studios in Luxembourg?
In this episode, we sit down with Türkan Dagli, founder of Dagli.
She was born and raised in Germany. She studied architecture in Aachen. She moved to Luxembourg in 2001 and started her own studio in 2005. Last year, she celebrated 20 years of the agency.
In this conversation, she talks about her first project, a new villa in Steinsel. She explains how she organizes her day to protect creative time. She shares her view of architecture, her love for projects that tell a story, and why she says no to cold and generic design.
She also talks about a-gap, the method she built to help young architects learn the basics faster. She explains her work with Women in Real Estate and her plan to prepare the next chapter of the studio with new partners.
This is a direct and honest conversation. No filter.
💡 What we cover in this episode:
🖊️ Her path from Germany to Luxembourg
🎓 Her architecture studies
🏠 Her first project: a new villa in Steinsel
☀️ Her work routine: create in the morning, manage in the afternoon
👥 How she builds a team with the same vision
📐 Why she created a-gap for young architects
🏘️ The projects she likes most: homes, renovations, coliving, and cooperatives
🚫 The projects she refuses
👩 Women in Real Estate and the role of women in the industry
🌲 A small house project close to nature
📈 Her vision for the next 5 to 10 years of Dagli
🔥 Her advice for young architects: there are no shortcuts
📌 Chapters
0:00 No shortcuts in architecture
0:27 Introduction
1:09 Who is Türkan Dagli?
2:00 20 years of Dagli
2:19 Why she started her own studio
3:07 Her first project in Steinsel
5:29 What changed from the early years to now
6:04 Her daily work routine
7:25 Her design style and her team
9:20 Why she created a-gap
12:00 How a-gap works
14:40 Why she loves teaching
15:16 What the Dagli studio looks like today
19:17 The projects she likes most
21:45 The projects she does not want
23:23 Women in Real Estate
27:32 The Happy Cottage project
30:14 The next step for the studio
31:20 Her advice for young architects
Watch this if you want to know
✅ How an architect builds a strong studio over 20 years
✅ What the job really asks from you
✅ Why style and conviction matter as much as skill
✅ How to train young architects fast without losing quality
✅ Why some architects refuse trends
✅ How to grow a studio without losing its identity
Who Is Türkan Dagli? The Story in Key Dates
Türkan Dagli is an architect based in Luxembourg and the founder of Dagli. She was born in Germany, studied architecture and moved to Luxembourg in 2001.
2001. She moves to Luxembourg after her studies.
2005. She opens her own studio. Her first project is a new villa in Steinsel.
2010s. Her studio grows step by step, even through difficult years. She builds a team around a shared view of architecture.
2018 to 2023. She hires many young architects and sees a clear gap between school and real work.
After that. She creates a-gap, a method to help junior architects learn the real basics of drawing and working in a studio.
2023. She starts the Happy Cottage project with François. It is about light living, close to nature.
2025. The Dagli studio celebrates 20 years.
2026. She prepares the next phase of the studio with new partners and stays active in Women in Real Estate.
What Makes Türkan Dagli Different From Other Architects in Luxembourg?
Three things stand out.
She protects her vision
Türkan Dagli does not try to please everyone. She says no to projects that do not fit her. She does not like cold, generic houses. The classic white cube with grey windows is not her language. She says it clearly: she cannot do it, and she does not want to do it.
She builds a real team
Her studio is not built around one ego. She wants each architect in her team to believe in the work. She does not want people to copy her style. She wants them to carry their own projects with the same level of conviction.
She connects practice, teaching, and long-term vision
She does not only build. She also teaches. With a-gap, she helps young architects become useful faster. She also works on bigger topics, like the place of women in real estate and new ways of living closer to nature.
FAQ: Türkan Dagli, Architecture and Projects in Luxembourg
What kind of projects does she do?
She works mainly on residential projects in Luxembourg. She also likes renovations, coliving projects, housing cooperatives, and new living ideas that need deeper thinking.
What is her design style?
Her architecture tries to tell a story, especially through the façade. She does not like cold and standard design. She avoids projects that feel too generic or too empty.
What is a-gap?
a-gap is a training method created by Türkan Dagli for young architects. The goal is to teach them the real basics they need in a studio, such as drawing plans at 1/100, 1/50, 1/20, and 1/5.
How does a-gap work?
It is a live online class on webcam. The course lasts 4 hours. It is for young architects from different countries. The goal is not to make them experts in one day. The goal is to give them a real base they can use right away.
What is Women in Real Estate?
It is an initiative that helps connect women in real estate, give them more visibility, and support mentoring. The idea is simple: there are women in the sector, but not enough in decision-making roles.
What is Happy Cottage?
Happy Cottage is a project she is building with François. It is a small house concept made for life close to nature, with low impact: wood structure, very little sealed ground, compost toilets, and a simpler way of living.
How does she see the future of her studio?
Türkan Dagli is preparing the next step with several partners. Her goal is to build a structure that can last and grow, even if she decides to slow down later.
Her One Piece of Advice for Young Architects
Her message is simple.
There are no shortcuts in architecture.
To become good, you need time, practice, and repetition. She talks about the idea of 10,000 hours. You do not become strong by looking for fast wins.
And she adds one more thing.
If architecture feels like just a job, it is probably not the right path for you.
Architecture is a job built on passion.
It is hard. It is demanding. But you have to love it.
👉 See Also
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City: Luxembourg | Date: March 2026 | #SSY!
City
Luxembourg
Date
March 2026
#SSY!
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