Mary Cook Associates & Morgan Li launch first-to-market ‘Built to Spec’ solution for student housing furnishings
By Mary Cook Associates
National commercial interiors firm Mary Cook Associates (MCA), together with furniture manufacturer Morgan Li, announced the launch of ‘Built to Spec,’ a first-to-market furnishings solution for student housing developments. The collaboration brings together MCA’s proven expertise in student housing interiors and design with Morgan Li’s manufacturing excellence to deliver in-unit furnishings that are not only designed for how today’s students live, sleep, study, work and play, but also differentiate properties from competition and deliver R.O.E (Return on Environment).
“With our robust portfolio of student housing work, we know firsthand how significant the quality, style, and functionality of furnishings can be in communicating a project’s unique brand and strengthening market position,” said Mary Cook, Founder and President of Chicago-based MCA. “From that experience, we identified an unmet demand to provide developers with student unit furniture solutions that reflect the specific needs and character of their property.”
Through Built to Spec, the MCA and Morgan Li teams collaborate with developers to understand their vision, project parameters and budget, then tailor purpose-built furnishing solutions accordingly. The process includes opportunities to personalize pieces for student unit living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms—including sofas, chairs, tables, kitchen islands, counter stools, bedframes, desks, and dressers—resulting in resident environments that maximize performance for students, enhance their experience and align with brand identity.
For MCA, Built to Spec is a natural extension of the firm’s 35 years providing comprehensive design services for award-winning projects across real estate sectors, contributing a researched approach to interiors that responds to the demographic, geographic, and lifestyle influences of target markets. “Offering individualized furniture solutions in the student space means we can deliver even more value to student housing clients by handling the full spectrum of their furnishing needs—from vision and design to fabrication to installation,” said Cook.
Built to Spec combines MCA’s design expertise with Morgan Li’s large-scale production capabilities, making it possible to manufacture unique, high-quality furnishings while still being cost-effective.
“When people hear ‘Built to Spec,’ they might initially assume the furniture will be more expensive than off-the-shelf offerings, but that is not the case,” added Cook. “We capitalize on the quantities needed for a student housing development, which allows us to manufacture competitively priced furniture solutions tailored to each property and its end users.”
“We’ve designed our Built to Spec furniture solutions specifically with the needs of the student housing industry in mind, ensuring we deliver exceptional quality, personalized designs, and craftsmanship that’s affordable,” said Andy Rosenband, CEO of Morgan Li. “By combining the design expertise of Mary Cook Associates with Morgan Li’s reliable manufacturing, we’re giving developers and operators a powerful way to create unique and quality living spaces.”
MCA and Morgan Li will debut Built to Spec at InterFace Student Housing Conference at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas, April 9–11, 2025. Attendees are encouraged to visit Booth 901-902 to learn about the Built to Spec design and fabrication process firsthand and explore sample products.
For more information about Mary Cook Associates, visit www.marycook.com.
For more information about Morgan Li, visit www.morganli.com.
About Mary Cook Associates:
Established in 1986, Mary Cook Associates (MCA) is a fully integrated interior architecture and design firm nationally known for creating innovative interiors for leading owners and developers of real estate. The firm’s projects include student living, multifamily, model homes, senior living, clubhouses, restaurants, and hospitality environments. MCA’s work emphasizes functionality, showcases possibilities, and delivers a measurable ROE (Return on Environment). MCA’s team includes more than two dozen designers and architects that are strategic, imaginative and skilled at designing a wide variety of spaces that respond to demographic, geographic and lifestyle influences of target markets. Smart, functional spaces that establish immediate connections with their users and boost Living Better by Design℠, increase property value, and accelerate sales and occupancy rates are the hallmarks of the results MCA consistently achieves. In its 38th year, the firm continues to expand its national presence with award-winning work across the country.
About Morgan Li:
Morgan Li is a Chicago-based, third-generation family-owned business with nearly eight decades of experience transforming retail and hospitality spaces through unique solutions. They offer a wide range of products and services to enhance retail spaces, helping businesses create a memorable experience. With a passion for quality and innovation, Morgan Li has become a trusted partner for businesses across various industries.