The School of Architecture was featured as the cover story of the August 5-11 issue of The Charlotte Business Journal, the city's leading business publication. "Five Decades in the Making: UNC Charlotte's School of Architecture has shaped what Charlotte is and will be" was written by Erik Spanberg in response to the School's celebration of its 50th anniversary in the 2021-22 academic year.
"Look at the urban growth here and you will see the hand of UNC Charlotte’s School of Architecture close by," the article begins. "That influence runs the gamut, from restaurants and shops to transit systems, schools, uptown parks, and signature neighborhoods and developments including Birkdale Village and Ballantyne.
"The timing for such collaboration was ideal. The architecture school debuted 50 years ago as the College of Architecture. Since then, few cities have seen as much change and population growth as Charlotte — growth that spurred taxpayer and corporate investment as well as a continuing need for planning that accommodates a rapidly shifting landscape.
"Retired Bank of America Corp. CEO Hugh McColl Jr., part of a small group of town fathers who drove Charlotte’s growth in the 1980s and 1990s, came to view the architecture program as an important ally.
"'I thought they were tremendously helpful when I was deeply involved in trying to develop Charlotte,' McColl said. 'They were so helpful in the design of the city. The architectural school participated in giving blessing to some of our ideas and, others, telling us, That’s not the right idea.'
"McColl said he and former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, himself an architect, often discussed and worked from master plans developed for uptown beginning in the late 1960s. Having expertise and perspective from UNC Charlotte architecture professors and their students provided much-needed context and insight, McColl added."
The article includes interviews with former Dean Ken Lambla, SoA Director Blaine Brownell, Professor Deb Ryan, and alumni Catherine Monroe, Tracy Dodson, Terry Shook, and Kevin Kennedy.