EMMA VAN GEUNS
+1 (650) 924 8879 evgeuns8@gmail.com issuu.com/emmavangeuns linkedin.com/in/emmavangeuns
The Strand Adaptive reuse of a classic theater.
The Ribbon Landmark urban infrastructure.
The Lantern “Jewel” alongside the Vltava River.
The Peel Center with dramatic green roof. The Village Solutions to Boston’s vacant parcels.
My first year of architecture school was online. Initially, I was hindered by my inability to work in person with my peers or professors. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I quickly learned how to define my own interests and style.
At Northeastern and IE University, studios have become sacred spaces for experimenting with media, materials, and graphics with unfettered freedom. Maquettes, collage, and drawing have become essential to my creative process.
Pedagogically, my projects consistently emphasize architecture as a puzzle piece in a greater urban fabric. In both of these projects, I chose to express context as equally valuable to my design.
Unfolded Elevation. The Strand’s facades.
The Strand
and maquette.
WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY
In collaboration with Cat Brownell
The Strand Theater Plaza
May 2024
Dorchester, United States
Northeastern Comprehensive Studio
HOW
been a vibrant community century, the
Theater has suffered from gradual symbolic of broader disenfranchisement
Collage. New Strand Plaza on Columbia Road. Mix of digital modeling, collage,
The Strand Theater, a war-era palace, is located on a dense thoroughway in Dorchester.
Strand
war-era Art Deco vaudeville dense but car-centered Dorchester. Although it has community hub for over a Theater as a physical entity gradual lack of investment, disenfranchisement across
South Boston. Our proposal democratizes the theater and reinvigorates the businesses along Columbia Road. Utilizing natural topography to our advantage, we carved into the sloped site through the former entry lobby of the Strand, which creates an urban plaza in the heart of the block. The Strand’s new curtain wall facade is a reminder
of the incision, revealing the ornate interior of the theater as a public amenity without any change to the function of the theater. Additionally, the neighboring restaurants and businesses along Columbia Road benefit from the exterior seating space and new facades offered in the plaza.
Graphic Timeline. Patterns of use and decay in the Strand over the past century. Historic mages sourced from Digital Commonwealth and Boston Globe.
Elevation. Reimagined pedestrian-focused streetscape on Columbia Road. Across our drawings, maintained features are represented in black linework, adaptations in red.
Stage Set Model. Sectional model showing the Strand’s new thresholds. What was formerly the Strand foyer is now an exterior plaza, maintaining the historic terrazzo tiles. Built with foam core, 3D prints, wire mesh, acrylic, and a lot of colored paper.
Section. The ornate ceiling, box seating, and stage are left untouched. Instead, adaptations grow from former service and circulatory spaces.
Project Model. Our model emphasizes the playful nature of our project and the focus on integration with existing businesses. This project is both architectural and urban.
Ground Plan. The Strand lobby acts as an interior extension of the plaza, separated only by the curtain wall. Existing Columbia Road restaurants now have exterior space on the plaza, and vacant storefronts have been replaces with community spaces such as a makerspace and dance studio.
The Ribbon
Graphic Site Axon. The Ribbon acts as a threshold for two abutting neighborhoods.
Personal Project
The Ribbon Urban Framework
WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY HOW
May 2023
Roxbury, United States
Northeastern Urbanism Studio
Roxbury Crossing is a vacant intersection of several outlying neighborhoods, each distinct lacking integration with site is located on the underutilized Corridor, a linear park that city as part of the famous
vacant area at the outlying Boston distinct in character but one another. Notably, the underutilized Southwest that stretches across the famous Emerald Necklace.
I reimagined the site’s potential by creating an extension of the Corridor: The Ribbon. This urbanscale architectural band incorporates a permeable system of thresholds and shared spaces, including markets, a skate park, community gardens, and outdoor exhibit areas. These programs foster a sense of ownership and agency for neighborhood
residents while also attracting visitors to the area. The mix of housing densities encourages a diverse population to live here and engage with the Ribbon project. The site also includes some existing housing and a historic fire station that has been converted into a museum and microbrewery.
Program Diagram. The Ribbon ties together different Boston neighborhoods through a centralized space of public activity.
City Site Plan. While its heart is at Roxbury Crossing, the Ribbon stretches the length of the Southwest Corridor, incorporating a variety of programs along its length.
Atmospheric Collages. (Top) The Ribbon in a moment as a bustling pavilion. (Bottom) Apartments, with The Ribbon on the horizon.
Neighborhood Site Plan. The Ribbon and its variety of thresholds in relation to the neighboring housing types. The Ribbon also includes a new subway entrance opening directly onto the plaza.
Transect. Smaller tunnels and throughways move perpendicular to the Ribbon, allowing residents to move between areas of varying privacy and vehicle access. All housing types include private outdoor space looking out onto public parks and gathering space.
In 2022, I spent eight months at the Bostonbased firm NBBJ, where I explored projects in culture, higher education, health care, and urban planning; all were in schematic or design development stages. In 2024, I returned to NBBJ for another six months.
In 2023, I spent an exciting six months at Sou Fujimoto Atelier Paris. There, I worked exclusively on a competition in Prague, presenting my ideas directly to Mr. Fujimoto and the client.
At NBBJ, I engaged in a wide range of projects within a large corporate office. At Fujimoto, I focused on a single project and integrated into a high design studio. This diversity in my professional experience has enabled me to clearly define my career goals and interests.
Elevation. The Lantern in it’s Baroque context.
The Lantern
Project Render. In collaboration with @ailleurs.studio.
WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY
Sou Fujimoto Atelier Paris
The Lantern Residence
December 2023
Prague, Czech Republic
High-End Residential Competion
HOW
This luxury housing project a new landmark for Prague; “jewel” to stand at one of the city. The Lantern pays Republic’s strong legacy through a system of movable, panels, decorated with a
project was designed to be Prague; the client desired a of the main gateways into pays homage to the Czech legacy of crystal craftsmanship movable, blown-glass façade a Baroque motif that
complements the city’s traditional façades. During the day, the translucent panels allow residents to look out onto views of the city and the Vltava River. At night, the building glows like a lantern, akin to other landmarks in the city. While this is a high-end residential project, it hosts a variety of apartment types. The lower levels of the main building, as well
as the floating structure, are filled with studios and one-bedroom apartments, while the middle levels feature two- to four-bedroom apartments. The penthouse is a dramatic twostory villa. Each apartment, despite its size, includes a balcony with greenery, responding to Letná Park across the river.”
Elevation. Moving the facade panels opens up views for the balconies.
Section. Each apartment, despite it’s size, has access to outdoor space.
Render. Glass panels appear more solid in the daytime, preserving privacy for residents. In collaboration with @ailleurs.studio.
Panel Construction Axon. Each panel is created from slender, rotating glass rods and cast shape pieces. The glass pieces are supported within a mirrored metal frame.
Exploded Project Axon. A peak into the variety of terraces and apartment types, ranging from studios to a palatial penthouse.
Physical Model. The model was used as an iterative tool, testing the effects of different Baroque motifs and the “lantern” effect of the lit building. Created using chiphoard, acrylic, and spray paint.
Wall Section Detail. Interface of terraces with the apartments. Services and MEP are centralized, freeing the facade.
Render. Interior view of studio, shown with the glass sliding panels closed. Made in collaboration with @ailleurs.studio.
Typical Plan. As a general strategy, service spaces such as the kitchen and bathroom line the interior corridor, creating a solid core. Thus, the open, foliage and glass facade is freed for bedrooms and living spaces.
The Peel
Physical Model. Removable roof reveals program options.
WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY
NBBJ Boston
The Peel Experience Center
January 2022
Cambridge, United States Office Commission
HOW
This experience center client who wanted a landmark could also serve as a museum space for stakeholders the program ideation was important to present multiple working, gathering, and
was commissioned by a landmark office space that museum and gathering of their company. Because was quite loose, it was multiple schemes balancing and cultural spaces. I created
a series of physical models for use during client meetings and design testing. First, I constructed a 1’: 1/16” scale model with interchangeable floor plates and roofs, used to test program and area changes. Second, I built a 1’: 1/32” scale model to demonstrate neighborhood and site-specific relationships. Each model also highlighted the
potential of green roofs, a general trend for the neighborhood of life science labs and offices. Both models were constructed using 3D-printed elements, laser-cut acrylic sheets, as well as hand-cut foam core; they were then finished with Bristol board and cardboard touches.
Context Model. The model focuses on the representation of green roof systems which have sprung up across the neighborhood.
Site Plan. The building rests at the border between a residential neighborhood and an active life sciences complexes. The emphasis was on the entrance from the southern plaza, as to not impose too much on residents.
Program Model. Floor plates can be changed to showcase all potential design opportunities. Context Model. Showcasing the peel.
The Village 05 44
In 2022, I spent eight months at the Bostonbased firm NBBJ, where I explored projects in culture, higher education, health care, and urban planning; all were in schematic or design development stages. In 2024, I returned to NBBJ for another six months.
In 2023, I spent an exciting six months at Sou Fujimoto Atelier Paris. There, I worked exclusively on a competition in Prague, presenting my ideas directly to Mr. Fujimoto and the client.
At NBBJ, I engaged in a wide range of projects within a large corporate office. At Fujimoto, I focused on a single project and integrated into a high design studio. This diversity in my professional experience has enabled me to clearly define my career goals and interests.
Elevation. The Lantern in it’s Baroque context.
The Village
Digital Collage. Rendering collaged with archival images of Boston seniors, sourced from Digital Commonwealth and Freedom House Library.
WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY
In collaboration with Alex Israel
Senior Activities Daycenter
May 2023
Boston, United States
NEU Anti-Displacement Studio
HOW
This project was part of initiative to imagine low-cost, ideas for vacant parcels district. My partner and on senior citizens, a community in Boston’s current cultural half of the project involved
a larger City of Boston low-cost, fast-development in Boston’s D7 land I focused our proposal community underserved cultural landscape. The first involved intensive research
into Boston’s past senior organizations and the gradual erasure of their third places, which is part of a larger epidemic of community center destruction in the city. To bring back the spirit of elderly autonomy and joy in the city, we designed a modular senior day space that can be assembled in different configurations and dimensions on
vacant parcels. Our design was developed in collaboration with Boston government officials and other community members through regular stakeholder meetings. Our final design became part of the City of Boston’s “ARTery” cultural project, a proposal submitted to Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu.
Graphic Timeline. All of our collages—mixing renders and archival photos—center portraits of senior joy and gathering.
Atmospheric Collage. All of our collages— mixing renders and archival photos—center portraits of senior joy and gathering.
Construction Axons. Part of a feasability study, these axons diagramatically breakdown the material and structural components of our design.