Cherri was born in Louisiana but spent her formative years growing up in Arizona. She learned to draw and paint at a young age from her mother who was an artist. When she met her first Architect in grade school, she fell in love with architecture and remembers the day vividly. The Architect was a classmate’s father, and he visited the class to talk about his trip to Paris and the beautiful architecture. He presented a slideshow of Paris’ magnificent buildings and gorgeous places he had visited, and Cherri was captivated by those images and later in her life, her very first European trip was, of course, to Paris. In that moment, Cherri decided that she was going to be an Architect, and she feels very fortunate to have found her creative calling at such a young age and to have stayed the course.

As a teenager, she and her family moved back to Louisiana where she was originally born. This brought her close to her grandparents and their woodworking shop where she worked with them on woodworking projects, which sparked a love for construction. Cherri enrolled at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA in their 5 year Architecture program and started her Architecture career there in her home state of Louisiana. Shortly after graduation Cherri convinced her grandparents to let her buy a rent house they were selling. They finally gave in-they didn’t understand why in the world she would want that old house! She moved in and started work on renovating. It was her first design-build project, and she was hooked! She did most of the work herself with the guidance of her grandfather, and this gave her a great respect for trades people and their skills. This would be the first of many projects like this and the beginning of the desire to be closely involved in the Construction process!

She spent 13 years working in Louisiana gaining experience on a wide range of architecture projects – schools, medical offices, hospitals, churches and corporate offices. In 2005, Cherri’s spouse was transferred to Birmingham, so Cherri closed her Louisiana office to start a new adventure in Alabama. After 17 years, Birmingham has become home to Cherri, and she is excited to be a part of a community that embraces history and celebrates beautiful Architecture.

Once in Birmingham, she practiced at Dungan Nequette Architects where she was able to be a part of many beautiful residential projects and developments in Birmingham, North Carolina and mostly the 30A strip in Florida as their Senior Project Manager. That wonderful experience solidified Cherri’s passion for residential design. But Cherri still felt called to have her own design studio, so in 2007 she formed Studio C Architecture & Interiors. With Studio C Architecture & Interiors, Cherri has worked on many types of residential projects along with some boutique commercial projects for her residential clients that want to carry over the feel of their personal retreats into their business spaces. Along with new construction, Cherri has also developed a niche for renovations and additions.

Now, with over 30 years of experience, Cherri is a licensed Architect in Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana (her home state). She was named as one of Birmingham’s Top 40 under 40, serves on Birmingham’s Historic Commission and is currently serving on the Highland Park Neighborhood Design Review Committee. She is a long-time member of the Birmingham Chapter and national AIA (American Institute of Architecture), and NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Board) certified, which gives her the ability to become registered in other states through reciprocity. She is also an Alabama licensed Home Builder and a member of the Alabama Home Builders Association and has done several Design/Build Projects as well.

Nothing makes her more excited than being able to design projects for her clients and being closely involved in the construction process has given her a deeper skill set as an Architect with an ability to assist her clients in a more in-depth way. Cherri typically will only take on a few new residential projects a year, along with a few renovation and addition projects, to allow for the attention to detail that is required. She applies her knowledge of construction as a licensed home builder and strives to pair her clients with the best builders in the area that are the right fit for the project and the client’s personality, since selecting the right builder is paramount in ensuring craft and quality is achieved in every project.