CHERYL WALKER
Architect and Independent Consultant
SAY IT LOUD - NOW Exhibitor
North Carolina Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am inspired by professionals who break barriers in pursuit of their careers. Undeterred, they devise creative strategies to overcome barriers, biases, and hindrances to achieve excellence, then create a mentorship pipeline for those to come.
CHERYL WALKER
Bio:
The great designer, Cheryl Walker is dedicated to creating healthy, efficient and memorable places in which to thrive. As Partner in her firm Design Harmony, she shaped many of the guiding principles of the early green movement. As Principal and Sustainable Design Coordinator for Gantt Huberman Architects, she led many of the firm’s first-of-a-kind public projects, including numerous certified LEED® buildings in North Carolina. She developed public policies that set precedent for a host of environmental standards.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
A child of public educators, builders and makers, I enjoyed designing and building things. I was acutely aware of how the character of a place impacted quality of life and learning and was intrigued with shaping places that create positive outcomes.
What do you do?
As independent consultant, I apply my specific strengths to firms, teams and projects. My role is to insure the project vision is coherently developed and communicated between client, design team, and community from inception through implementation.
What excites you in the work you do?
Unearthing the hidden potential of every project. Every project has possibilities beyond its original stated goals. I engage with owners, users and communities to illuminate its greater purpose and successfully deliver the re-envisioned project.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
I am inspired by professionals who break barriers in pursuit of their careers. Undeterred, they devise creative strategies to overcome barriers, biases, and hindrances to achieve excellence, then create a mentorship pipeline for those to come.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
Working with people committed to excellent, community-responsive design. I am most proud of the culturally significant projects that prove memorable to the community, that embody social and sustainable goals, and set standards for future endeavors.
Featured Project Name:
ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
Featured Project Location:
Charlotte, NC
Featured Project Completion Date:
2005
Role in Featured Project:
Sustainability Coordinator
Featured Project Description:
A joint effort of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, ImaginOn is a first-of-its-kind learning environment. Its mission of creative expression serves children and teens through the integration of theater and the written, spoken, and electronic word. Located in Center City, it is integral to the cultural district and serves as a pilot project to illustrate environmental stewardship. ImaginOn Mecklenburg County’s first building to earn LEED® Silver certification.
Photography Credit:
Tom Kessler Photography
Featured Project Name:
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Center City Building
Featured Project Location:
Charlotte, NC
Featured Project Completion Date:
2011
Role in Featured Project:
Sustainability Coordinator
Featured Project Description:
Center City Building is UNC Charlotte’s first building in the heart of the city. Connecting its suburban campus with the business and arts community, the iconic building houses academic programs alongside generous community auditorium, cafes, and galleries. Environmental strategies include rotated upper volumes, innovative curtainwall, and tailored glazing opacities based on solar orientation, to harness daylight and energy. The University’s first LEED® project achieved LEED® Gold certification.
