Education:
Bachelor of Art in Architecture with a Minor in Urban Studies, UNC Charlotte (2006)
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
What is your current occupation?
I am a Principal at Morris-Berg Architects in Charlotte. I manage the design and production of our office projects. This involves client engagement and retention. I work closely with our staff to ensure that our culture of collaboration and accountability are communicated through our processes and projects.
What projects are you currently working on?
We are working on a collaboration with a museum architect out of Boston for the adaptive reuse of an old grocery store in downtown Monroe, NC. The project is the Monroe Science Center, which will have a positive impact on the local and regional area of Union County.
How did your education at UNC Charlotte prepare you for your future?
My father was a professor at UNC Charlotte when I was born, and I recall the experiences I had on campus in the early 1980s. This itself shaped my sense of self, thus returning to UNC Charlotte was like “coming home.” The professors and students shaped who I have become as a citizen, designer, and manger. Key things I learned include the need to be obsessively organized, to be meticulous in my design process, and to ensure that I leave this world in a better place than I came into it, especially Charlotte and the surrounding communities.
Do you have any particularly special memories of your educational experiences from CoA+A?
Overall, the close relationships with open-minded professors and the apparent feeling that they had my best interests in mind. Also, at the end of the year, we would have a boat race where our work went up in flames.
If you were to recommend the UNC Charlotte program you graduated from to a prospective student, what would you say?
The architecture program at UNC Charlotte provides an economical, well-rounded education that is rooted both in academia and the professional world outside of studio. Although while in school it seems quite abstract, the lessons learned at UNC Charlotte will serve you well throughout your professional career. I would also encourage them to make the most of the college experience through involvement in the UNC Charlotte community to learn the skills of cross-discipline collaboration.
You've worked on a number of projects for UNC Charlotte's campus. What were they?
- Miltimore Residence Hall – Lead Designer
- Belk Residence Hall - Lead Designer
- Holshouser Hall Renovations - Lead Designer
- Atkins Library – HVAC Upgrades – Project Manager
- Cone Center – Computer Lab Renovations – Project Manager
- Sycamore Hall – Adaptive Re-use/ Renovations – Lead Designer/ Project Manager
The transformation of Sycamore Hall from a vacant residence hall into the upbeat environment to house the Urban Institute, Institutional Research and Distance Education has been one of my most exciting projects to date. The ability to repurpose buildings represents the growth of UNC Charlotte in addition to its attention towards stewards of sustainability. This challenging project will provide shared working spaces between three departments and be a model for the benefits of the open-office concepts. White walls, ceilings and pops of color are selected to be the backdrop for the work that this institution conducts daily.