Interview with Elizabeth Emerson and Mark Lawrence, Washington, D.C. architects

Abstract

This interview was conducted as part of Rebecca Summer's research for the dissertation "The Urban Alley: A Hidden Landscape of Social Change in Washington, D.C." Emerson and Lawrence are the architects of E/L Studio and are working on a major project called the Washington Alley Project (WAP). This includes data collection and map creation about the existing states of alleys and potential design avenues to revitalize them. They have presented to the DC Office of Planning and are in touch with people there. They did a citywide resident survey about alley uses and desires, and they also organized an “alley hop” downtown. The interviews covers a discussion of the rising popularity of alleys as places to live and work and what makes alleys appealing today. There is also discussion of particular design challenges for architects working in alleys, with references to specific alleys in Washington, D.C. and specific neighborhoods in the city.