Micellar assemblies orient at graphite surfaces in the same way as the channels in mesoporous silica films. Evidence to suggest that the structural organization of the surfactant surface phase extends far beyond the hemicylindrical micellar monolayer located at the water-graphite interface is presented and details of the proposed assembly process given. An understanding of the origin of the coalignment between silica channels and graphite surface structures is the goal of this investigation, important for the design of mesoporous films and membranes with predetermined architectures.