07 Apr The Launch of Built to Spec

CHICAGO (April 7, 2025) — National commercial interiors firm Mary Cook Associates (MCA), together with furniture manufacturer Morgan Li, today 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. By pairing our signature design process with Morgan Li’s manufacturing capabilities, we can give developers individualized options that aren’t found in a catalog or at other communities, raising the bar with functional, durable and beautiful furnishings that elevate student life, boost impact and perceived value, and ultimately drive occupancy and lease renewals.”

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’re pleased to team with Morgan Li for its outstanding reputation in the industry and ability to scale production and bring value to customers.”

“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.