Clark Nexsen Wins Six 2019 AIA South Atlantic Region Design Awards
The American Institute of Architects, South Atlantic Region (AIA SAR) recognized an unprecedented six Clark Nexsen projects with design excellence awards at a ceremony held on April 14 during the Aspire Experience Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. Julie Snow, FAIA, chaired a jury that chose the winning work from more than 200 entries submitted by firms in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Clark Nexsen’s recognized projects are pictured above clockwise from top left:
Honor Award, New Construction – Wake Tech Parking Deck 2
Parking Deck 2 at Wake Tech’s Scott Northern Wake campus in Raleigh features custom fabricated steel panels. This highly polished surface reflects the colors of the sky and surrounding trees. The panels create enclosure on three sides, but are kept open on the fourth side, providing expansive views of a natural buffer area. Stair towers are conceived as light lanterns that float above the ground plane.
Honor Award, Interior Architecture – Blue Ridge Orthodontics
Transparency, views, and an unexpected warmth define the Blue Ridge Orthodontics’ new office in Asheville. Wood tones, easy wayfinding, and a variety of comfortable seating convey an atmosphere more consistent with a spa than an orthodontist’s office. The juxtaposition of a soaring roof and a sculptural, layered wall facilitates the connection between interior and exterior, while a stepped, stone-clad perimeter wall anchors the building on its site.
Honor Award, Unrealized – Go Raleigh Bus Shelter
Go[Shelter] is the winning entry for a design competition hosted by GO Raleigh Transit and the AIA Triangle Chapter. The brief asked for proposals that reimagine area bus shelters. Go[Shelter] takes its formal cues from notions of points and connections, resulting in a triangulated shelter. The proposed shelter brings energy to public transportation via a highly visible shelter, while addressing user criteria such as shelter from the elements, visibility, comfort, and safety.
Honor Award, New Construction – Wake Tech Regional Plant & Teaching Facility
The Regional Plant & Teaching Facility at Wake Tech Community College creates a gateway to the campus and acts as a symbol of the merging of technology, education, and sustainability. While the building’s program is comprised of spaces to house heating and cooling equipment, it is also an educational facility for teaching students and the public about energy efficient building systems.
Merit Award, New Construction – Coastal Studies Institute
The mission of the Coastal Studies Institute Research Building is to be a model of sustainability in its response to the land and water. Located on the banks of Roanoke Island, the building touches the ground lightly and interacts with the landscape through its site walls and natural lawns. The ground floor is primarily open to the outside to create large, covered outdoor educational spaces, with lab spaces, classrooms, and offices located on the upper floors. The use of natural light is predominant throughout the building.
Merit Award, New Construction – Abbotts Creek Community Center
Located on a former landfill site and beside an elementary school, Abbotts Creek Community Center transforms an abandoned piece of land into a thriving community park for healthy living and learning in Raleigh. The center’s composition interlocks with the adjacent elementary school and creates a series of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that transform the forgotten site. A delicate screen encompasses the upper volume and creates a veil that illuminates the public spaces and defines the entrance to the new community campus.
Julie Snow, FAIA, principal at Snow Kreilich Architects, served as jury chair with Matthew Kreilich FAIA, principal at Snow Kreilich Architects; Paul Mankins, FAIA, founding partner of substancearchitecture; and Malini Srivastava, AIA, co-principal at Dandelab.
About AIA South Atlantic Region
The American Institute of Architects South Atlantic Region is made up of the chapters in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and is home to more than 5,500 members. The AIA is the voice of the architectural profession and a resource for its members in service to society. The organization is dedicated to driving positive change in communities through the power of design.
Above: All project photos taken by Mark Herboth Photography.