Emma Evans, Associate AIA and LEED Green Associate, earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree through Penn State University and graduated with honors from the Schreyer Honors College in 2023. While at school, Emma minored in both architectural history and anthropology while also having the opportunity to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark for a semester with DIS. After school, she moved back to Erie, PA and has worked as an architectural designer at Weber Murphy Fox for the last three years. Her interests include historic preservation, sustainability, and adaptive reuse.
Interview Questions:
Q: What is the one building that you just had to see for yourself or would one day like to see in person?
A: When I was a student, during my architectural history classes I listed a number of places I wanted to visit when studying abroad. When I finally took my trip to Europe, I was able to see quite a few on that list, including the Palazzo Ducale in Venice and Dancing House in Prague. There are many more I’d love to visit some day, including Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
Q: In your “spare time” do you pursue any interesting hobbies or extracurricular pursuits?
A: In my “spare time” I love to do a variety of crafts including watercolor painting, crochet, and glass mosaics. I also love music, play eight instruments, and can often be found playing woodwinds in the pit for local high school shows.
Q: What role has mentorship (mentor/mentee) played in your professional development so far? Any advice for those looking to get the most out of their mentorship opportunities?
A: Mentorship has played an important role in my professional development as both a mentee and mentor. As a mentee first, I’m grateful for those who provided guidance, insight, and opportunities for me to learn and grow through my years of education and work. Now as a professional in the field, I’ve been honored to run our student shadowing program and provide high school students with an opportunity to see a day in my life as an architect while helping them decide on their career. I strongly believe that our field is more successful through the interaction of prospective students all the way through principals in the field, as experiencing different viewpoints have helped me learn more than almost any other opportunity.
Q: Why is licensure important to you?
A: Licensure is important to me because it would allow me to take the next step in my career and culminate my five years of architecture school and my four years of internships.
Q: Any words of wisdom for your fellow licensure candidates? or …What type of advice would you offer to young professionals or even younger people considering going into architecture as a field of study/career pursuit?
A: My biggest piece of advice for anyone looking to enter the architectural field would be to get experience in order to get a full understanding of what an architect really does day-to-day. Whether this is through job shadowing, internship, and/or mentorship, the interaction between yourself and the offices you engage with can offer support, encouragement, and insight into what to expect for your future as a designer. I would recommend for any aspiring architect to learn more about different paths to licensure and experience work in the field to explore different opportunities that are the best fit for them.