Born in Addis Ababa, he moved to the United States at the age of fourteen. Admassu graduated with a master of science in Advanced Architectural Design (Honors) from Columbia University (GSAPP ’12), where he was awarded the Lucille Smyser Lowenfish Memorial Prize. He currently works as an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University and a senior designer at MdeAS Architects. Emanuel is the co-founder and principal of MI, a design collaborative engaged in consuming, critiquing and producing spatial translations of contemporary culture. Admassu’s current research focuses on the constructed identities of urban markets in Africa.