As part of an ongoing school initiative and national program for early career faculty, Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA) welcome two Architecture Fellows to its fauclty — Alper Turan, the 2024-26 Architecture and Design Fellow, and Emek Erdolu, the 2024-26 Architecture and Computation Fellow. With their diverse experiences in architecture, design computation, and innovative research, both are bringing fresh perspectives to the school, further strengthening Tulane’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning, diverse perspectives, and cutting-edge scholarship.

As part of their two-year fellowship at TuSA, Alper and Emek are also joining the latest cohort of early career faculty in a pipeline program of the national Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative, co-founded by TuSA and others. The fellowship program, established in 2021, works to support early career faculty working to advance socio-ecological and spatial justice, equity and inclusion.

In addition to their architectural and design skills, Alper brings his experience at the international renowned graphic design firm Pentagram and Emek brings his advanced computational skills developed through his PhD, said Iñaki Alday, Dean of TuSA.

“With the addition of these distinguished fellows,” Alday said, “the Tulane School of Architecture strengthens its position as a hub for interdisciplinary scholarship and a leader in shaping the next generation of architects and professionals working in the built environment.”

Alper Turan: Bridging Design and Graphic Representation

Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Alper Turan brings a global perspective to his teaching and practice. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Istanbul Technical University and a post-professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch II) from Yale University School of Architecture. Alper Turan joins Tulane as a Visiting Assistant Professor and Architecture and Design Fellow.

Alper’s career spans several prestigious design studios, including award-winning practices in Istanbul and New York. His tenure at Pentagram Design in New York, working closely with renowned designer Paula Scher, is a highlight of his career. While at Pentagram, Alper contributed to projects for iconic clients such as the Public Theater, the Memphis Art Museum, and the High Line, blending his architectural background with graphic design expertise. His work has been published in leading industry platforms, including Archinect, Pan Scroll Zoom, Retrospecta, and KoozArch, and exhibited at the V&A Museum in London and Studio X in Istanbul.

In 2023, Alper established Post-Form, an independent practice that allows him to further explore his interests in architecture, representation, and graphic design. His work is defined by an innovative approach that seamlessly integrates architecture and visual design, and he is excited to bring this multidisciplinary perspective to his students at Tulane.

“I look forward to collaborating with students at Tulane and fostering a learning environment where design and representation converge,” Alper said. “Architecture is a powerful means of communication, and I am excited to explore how graphic design can amplify that dialogue.”

Emek Erdolu: Contextualizing AI/Robotics in Architecture

Emek Erdolu, the new Architecture and Computation Fellow at Tulane, joins as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Emek's academic focus straddles the intersection of design computation, human-computer interaction, and robotics. His current research explores (a) ways human-centered design research of technology design processes, specific users, and work practices might inform the development of AI/robotic systems for architecture, and (b) how these systems inscribe transformations to the labors, representation, and aesthetics in the history of and current practice in the field.

Emek earned his Ph.D. in Computational Design from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Focusing on a selection of historical and contemporary robotics practices in the U.S., his dissertation investigated how technology designers have conceptualized the work of laborers to inform construction robotic systems, and how these systems reconfigure the organization of tasks with new workflows and human-machine interactions they introduce to sites. His collaborative research has been published in prominent journals such as Springer Construction Robotics, PACMHCI, and the International Journal of Architectural Computing, and presented at the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S).

Prior to his appointment at Tulane, Emek was a Ph.D. candidate and an instructor at CMU, where he taught in both the Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and Master of Science in Computational Design (MSCD) programs. He has also taught and lectured at institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Bilkent University in Turkey. His international experience includes working on large-scale projects with AECOM, HMD, Ecoland, and Nomad Studio in the U.S., China, and Southeast Asia.

“It is important to continue developing technically informed, critical views of computational technologies towards new avenues of creativity and research in the field of architecture,” Emek noted. “I’m excited to engage with Tulane students, helping them cultivate such views and begin navigating those avenues.”

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