Clark Nexsen Wins Three 2025 AIA North Carolina Design Awards

Clark Nexsen was awarded three 2025 American Institute of Architects (AIA) North Carolina design awards for the Fort Fisher Visitor Center, the Madera Cyber Innovation Center at the United States Air Force Academy, and the Virginia Beach Sports Center. The awards were presented on October 24, 2025 at the AIA North Carolina Design & Chapter Awards event in Charlotte, North Carolina, where members gather each year to celebrate excellence in architecture by recognizing projects and individuals. 

Fort Fisher Visitor Center – Honor Award

Located on the site of a massive Civil War Confederate fortress, the 22,00 square-foot visitor center provides guests with an interactive facility that tells the unique story and history of Fort Fisher and the surrounding area. Designed to elevate previously marginalized voices and present a more complete history of the area, the two-story building, which replaces the old center, features more space, modern amenities, and an immersive design that allows artifacts, architecture, and the local landscape to work in concert together. Once positioned to defend the mouth of the Cape Fear River, the site has reconstructed Civil War-era earthworks and replica cannons looking outward toward the shoreline. 

Madera Cyber Innovation Center – Honor Award   

Centered on bolstering the abilities of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy, the almost 50,000-square-foot, three-story Madera Cyber Innovation Center brings together military, academic, and industry expertise to educate and train future Air and Space Force officers. The facility serves as the new home for the Air Force’s CyberWorx program, the Institute for Future Conflict, the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences, and all other cyber-focused curricula. Designed as a signature building and adhering to the architectural design guidelines of the Air Force Academy’s campus, the building features a variety of innovative areas, such as flexible classrooms and laboratories with cutting edge technology.    

Virginia Beach Sports Center – Merit Award | Phil Freelon Award for Public Architecture

Designed to boost off-season tourism and elevate Virginia Beach’s sports destination appeal, the 284,000-square-foot Virginia Beach Sports Center transforms the region’s recreational landscape. The facility houses 12 hardwood basketball courts convertible to 24 volleyball courts, flexible meeting spaces, and seating for 5,000 spectators. A standout feature is the country’s first 200-meter indoor hydraulically banked track—boasting the steepest banking angle of any indoor track in the United States. Designed in collaboration with Hanbury Architects, the building’s exterior comprises pre-engineered metal with CTI daylighting panels and striking vertical glazing, and features a distinctive sunrise orange overhang at the main entrance, creating a bold architectural statement that captures Virginia Beach’s coastal character while bringing substantial natural light into the lobby and public spaces.

About AIA North Carolina 

Located in Raleigh, NC, the mission of AIA North Carolina is to serve its members by enhancing and promoting the profession of architecture. The AIA North Carolina Chapter and Design Awards programs are designed to encourage and recognize distinguished architectural achievement; to honor the architectural team, their clients, and consultants who work together to improve the built environment; to demonstrate the breadth of services architects provide; and to raise public consciousness of the architect’s role in shaping the quality of life through design excellence.