AzraYilmaz_Portfolio by Azra Yilmaz

AZRA DERIN YILMAZ

BUILD A BOAT

A wood boat building school that celebrates process over product, inspiring young makers by the Charles River.

Located along the Charles River at Herter Park, this wood boat building school invites children ages 7–14 to explore the beauty of making. The building’s orientation along the main public path celebrates visibility and curiosity. It allows people passing by to witness the students’ creative process as it unfolds. By separating the public gallery and the private workshop, the design highlights the importance of process over product, encouraging young makers to find meaning in every stage of creation.

Lobby

Gallery

O ces

Model Building Studio

Storage Room

Woodshop

Big Shed

Bathrooms

SITE ANALYSIS - HERTER PARK

The school is placed in between the main circulation path for people visiting the park, and the main access point for students.

The main circulation path, nodes and the parking lot are highlighted on the analysis.

CIRCULATION

There are two main paths of circulation, one is a clear path for visitors, and one is a clear path for users; students.

PROGRAM

The user; student and visitor program are seperated in the space, to maintain a focused and comfortable environment for students.

Building

Sequence

ECHO-HOUSE

FALL 2025 | STUDIO 03 |

PAVILION ALONG THE CHARLES

The EchoHouse is a pavilion designed for Herter Park in Boston to serve as a performance space for local festivals and events, including the Head of the Charles Regatta. It also works as an everyday gathering spot, giving people a place to sit, hang out, and enjoy views of the river and the park. We wanted the design to be compact so that most of the open green space around it could stay accessible all year, following our motto: “ adding on instead of taking out from nature.The pavilion sits on the flattest part of the site with a concrete base. The first level is built from lightweight wood construction, while the second level opens up as a performance area framed by four arched walls. A spiral stair connects the two levels, doubling as extra seating and encouraging people to interact with the space in different ways.The three main ideas behind the EchoHouse are compactness, to keep the footprint small, functionality,to support a variety of uses, and interactivity, to make the pavilion feel like a part of both the park and the community

In collaboration with Sofia Ochoa

ROXBURY MIGRATION CENTER

SPRING 2025 | STUDIO 03 | MIGRATION CENTER

Located in the heart of Roxbury...

This Migration Center on Washington Street in Roxbury MA, is a building used to temporarily reside migrants coming from Namibia, Africa due to a climate crisis. This center serves as a welcoming center for themand offer language support, job training, and temporary sleeping quarters.

Washington Street

Black Market Nubian Gallery