Cathy Cervantes Morrison

CEO at Neighboring Concepts, Charlotte, NC

Education:
Master’s of Architecture, UNC Charlotte  (2006)

Cathy Cervantes Morrison remembers that the studios and culture of UNC Charlotte were very different from her undergraduate architectural education. “This helped me form stronger opinions on design and communities by exposing myself to different ideas. Broadening my curriculum to incorporate a dual master’s in Geography (Community Planning) took those preferences a step further,” she explained.

“During my time at UNC Charlotte,” she continued, “I felt encouraged to make my education fit my personal passions. I took that confidence post-graduation to design my career path with experiences in and out of the office.” Check out a memory of hers from December 2005 of the ceremonial burning of studio materials at the end of the semester, below!

Work Samples

UNC Charlotte Center City Building
Date Completed: 08/01/2011 | Credit: Gantt Huberman Architects

The University of North Carolina (UNC) Charlotte Center City Building was the first building constructed outside of its main suburban campus. The 143,000 SF building accommodates a master’s programs in business and urban design, as well as graduate-level courses in engineering, health and human services, and continuing education programs. The 12-story building achieved LEED Gold and several design awards.

Charlotte Streetcar
Date Completed: 12/31/2009 | Credit: Gantt Huberman Architects

Led public input sessions for early planning on streetcar stops and station design.

JCSU STEM Building
Date Completed: 03/01/2015 | Credit: Gantt Huberman Architects

Johnson C Smith University is a historically black college and university (HBCU) located just outside of Center City Charlotte. Student labs and STEM classrooms are highly visible to encourage interest from those passing through the building.

Novant Health FMC Critical Care Tower
Date Completed: 12/31/2022 | Credit: Gresham Smith

Originally designed pre-COVID, this building went on hold for a year in Spring 2020 to evaluate design changes that needed to be made given lessons learned during the pandemic.