Alper Besen

Alper Besen is an interior architect and an academic. Originally from Turkey, he has practiced in Istanbul and New York for over 15 years. He holds a Master of Design from RISD’s Interior Architecture department with a focus on adaptive reuse and a Master of Arts from SVA’s Design Writing, Research and Criticism department.

Alper is a visiting assistant professor at the Pratt Institute, where he teaches Interior Design Theory and MFA Thesis Studio. He also teaches an adaptive reuse-focused Revit course at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). His academic studies focus on the ethical frictions between collective memory vs. private interests. He advocates the usage of temporary adaptation techniques designed for obsolescence in respect of collective memory and future flexibility for the next generations.

Before joining Alepreda Architecture in 2022, Alper was an interior architect at Deborah Berke Partners for eight years. There, he specialized in high-end residential and hospitality projects. His roster of projects included the conversion of a barn into an artist’s residence and the adaptive reuse of a landmark Ford factory building into a museum-hotel.