Designing with Curiosity, Clarity, and Care

The following is a first-hand perspective from Ethan Ilktan, an Architectural Designer in WATG’s Los Angeles office. Working across hospitality and integrated resort projects, Ethan reflects on how computational design, physical making, and hand-drawn thinking come together in practice.

When I first became interested in computational design, what drew me in was not the idea of making unusual forms. It was the possibility of thinking more clearly.

I have always been interested in how different parts come together to create something larger. In architecture, that can mean program, circulation, ecology, guest experience, structure, budget, and buildability all shaping one another at the same time. That is especially true in hospitality and integrated resort design, where a project has to do many things at once while still feeling effortless to the people experiencing it.

That way of thinking has stayed with me from school into practice. What has changed is the level of responsibility. In practice, ideas do not exist on their own. They have to work for clients, for teams, for budgets, and for the realities of construction. For me, that is where computational design becomes most valuable, not as a style, but as a method for bringing more clarity and efficiency to the design process.

Used well, it helps remove friction. It can reduce repetitive tasks, make it easier to test options, and create a stronger link between early design exploration and technical documentation. That matters because every hour saved on reworking geometry or rebuilding information is time that can go back into the design itself.

One workflow I have found especially valuable is Rhino.Inside.Revit, which helps connect the freedom of early design thinking with the structure of BIM documentation. It allows us to carry ideas forward with more continuity and less repetition. For me, the benefit is simple: better coordination, more efficient workflows, and more time for design teams to focus on the decisions that actually improve a project.

As Bryan Algeo notes, “What sets Ethan apart is a rare combination of advanced computational design expertise and strong creative ability. His ability to bridge design and technology has had a measurable impact on both the quality and efficiency of our studio’s output.”

That balance between creativity and technical rigor is something I care about deeply. I have always enjoyed making, whether through physical models, 3D printing, or digital workflows. Even in a highly computational process, physical models still matter to me. They make ideas tangible. They help communicate light, scale, and atmosphere in a way that feels immediate and intuitive. They remind us that architecture is always moving toward something real and built.

Before joining WATG, I worked on large and complex projects at KPF, including supertall towers and highly constrained urban developments. That experience taught me that scale is really about coordination. Clear linework, organized files, and repeatable systems are not just technical habits; they are what allow teams to work together effectively. They are also what make ambitious design possible at a high level.

At WATG, I have been especially interested in how hospitality projects bring together so many different kinds of thinking. They require technical precision, but they also depend on emotion, atmosphere, and memory. One thing that surprised me most was how important hand-drawn sketches still are. In a digital environment, drawing by hand can still be the fastest way to find the heart of an idea. I have found that the best process is rarely fully analogue or fully digital. It moves between the two.

Living in different places, including Turkey, Poland, Canada, and New York, has also shaped the way I think about design. It taught me to pay closer attention to context and to the ways people inhabit space differently. That perspective has made me more aware that good design is never generic. It has to respond to where it is, who it is for, and what kind of experience it creates.

Even my background in competitive ballroom dancing has stayed with me in unexpected ways. Dance taught me about rhythm, discipline, repetition, and movement. Architecture has its own version of that. We work within systems and constraints, but the goal is still to create something that feels natural, memorable, and alive.

Looking ahead, I want to continue growing as an architect who can contribute across the full life of a project, from early concept and visualization through technical development and construction. I am especially interested in using computational design in ways that create tangible value: saving time, improving coordination, and helping teams carry design intent more clearly from idea to execution.

For me, the goal is not to make architecture more complicated. It is to make the process more thoughtful, more efficient, and ultimately more human.