My name is Emma Edmondson. I am a fifth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture at Virginia Polytechnic and State Institute. In addition to architecture, my interests include photography and the arts. I especially enjoy sketching and screen-printing.

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I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, but spend most summers at my grandparents' farm on Long Island, New York. My love of photography definitely stemmed from those summers spent in that little yellow farmhouse overlooking the Long Island Sound.

 

I am interested in civic architecture and public spaces, and the role architecture plays within a city context. I am also intrigued by gallery and museum exhibition design and other forms of public infrastructure. Over the past few months I have been able to visit art museums and galleries throughout Europe and have gained a better appreciation for the planning that goes into spaces such as these. The correlation between the worlds of art and architecture, as well as how technology impacts this relationship, is something I plan to study further during my thesis year.

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At the end of the summer of 2018, I participated in the Nordic Design Program, a summer study-abroad opportunity that took me to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Through this program, I became better acquainted with Nordic culture and design and have a newfound passion for this region and all it has to offer.

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During the summer of 2019, I was part of Virginia Tech's first-ever San Francisco Summer Studio. As part of this program, I got the chance to work side-by-side with practicing architects in order to gain a better understanding of how architecture works in the real world. I became immersed in the architecture and culture of the Bay Area through study of the region, tours of various projects, both completed or in-construction, and meetings with firms and architects throughout the area.

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Most recently, I studied abroad in Riva san Vitale, Switzerland, as part of Virginia's Tech Architecture Residency Program at the Steger Center. I traveled throughout Europe to study famous works of architecture and design while simultaneously working on a studio project located in the small Swiss town of Rovio. You can click the "Travel" tab below to read more about my experiences!