Elissa Morrison, AIA

Elissa Morrison, AIA

Morrison fiercely believes that design must support the common good through spaces that are equally engaging, inspiring, and equitable. For the past 11 years, she has practiced at Charleston’s Liollio Architecture where her project leadership engages South Carolina’s diverse communities. A project manager and firm associate, Morrison regularly leverages engagement tools to connect with users and stakeholders, including surveys, visioning discussions, and visual responses captured through case study images. After synthesizing the data, she leads her team through a focused approach to deliver compassionate architecture. She is also the firm’s community market champion, helping the firm focus on a broader range of community-focused work.

Her approach is evident in projects like the Fort Mill Welcome Center, envisioned as a new front porch to greet South Carolina’s visitors and encourage them to “sit and stay a while.” The project responds to local pottery traditions while balancing the client’s desire for low-maintenance and economical regional materials. Since opening in 2017, the center, which operates around the clock, has welcomed more than seven million visitors and helped generate $3.2 million in travel revenue for the state.

An eager volunteer, Morrison stands ready to support communities and the profession. Her great-grandfather moved to South Carolina to become a construction superintendent and oversaw the construction of numerous buildings, including the original town hall for Chapin, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2021, after years of vacancy, Morrison voluntarily conducted a conditions assessment of the property to help the town secure funding to restore it. Morrison also serves on Mount Pleasant’s Commercial Design Review as its only licensed architect.

Morrison has been an active member of AIA Charleston, where her service on the executive board, including a term as president in 2022, has positively impacted its 300 members and their allies. During her presidency, the chapter offered 25 continuing education credits focused on critical topics like resiliency and historic preservation, and she ended her term by updating the chapter’s MOU with AIA South Carolina, forming new relationships and imbuing her local chapter with new vitality.

Equally generous and responsible, Morrison deftly engages colleagues, students, and the public with aplomb. She is an agent of change who has made an indelible mark on the profession and the communities she serves.