During his talk, Emerson analysed the social influences on the planning processes for different areas in the city of London. As the architect himself stated, “In essence, architecture is a do-it-yourself project emerging from amidst the rubble of history and the comedy of everyday life”.

Emerson studied architecture at the University of Bath, the Royal College of Art and Cambridge University, where he later taught. He has also given classes at the Architectural Association and, in 2010, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and has published articles on architecture, literature and art. He has also won a number of different awards, such as the 2010 RIBA medal for his work on the East London art gallery Raven Row and the 2011 New London Architecture Award for the highly acclaimed South London Gallery.

In 2001 Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald founded the 6a Architects studio, which takes as its inspiration the work of the French philosopher and social anthropologist Bruno Latour. Throughout his career, Emerson has argued that students need to acquire more practical skills in order to succeed in their chosen profession, and it is for this reason that 6a Architects focuses on dynamic projects that promote innovation and knowledge. It is thanks to this approach to project implementation that 6a Architects has become one of the leading studios in the United Kingdom.