VMDO Architects

When Abigail first left her hometown in the suburban sprawl of Central Massachusetts, she discovered that communities can be vibrant, connected, pedestrian places. This exposure cemented her desire for beauty, connection, life, and sustainable housing in the places she lives. This passion, along with a penchant for visual learning, led her to pursue a career in architecture from the age of seventeen. She graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a minor in African American Studies, and headed straight to Charlottesville for a Master of Architecture from UVA. Her studies in undergraduate and graduate school inspired her master’s thesis: Resilient Rehousing of the Lower Ninth Ward. This project is a multi-scalar approach to rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans with resilient homes that retain their value, build equity, foster social connections, and respond to the water and landscape around it. These strategies work to revive a once lively Black neighborhood whose housing security, health, and financial stability have been repeatedly compromised through federal and city urban planning.

After graduating and concurrently managing a cocktail bar in Charlottesville, Abigail, with a deep appreciation of the urban structure of the city, stayed in Charlottesville and joined VMDO as a designer in 2023. She enjoys bartending occasionally, as well as going to yoga and barre classes, and cooking for her community. She appreciates how architecture, like food and drink, can bring people together and create a positive energy for gathering.