Damian Seitz, Principal, discusses Clark Nexsen’s decade-long relationship with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and how the firm has helped their program and students with its projects. When did Clark Nexsen start working with EVMS? We started working with EVMS in 2015. They had a new…
Clark Nexsen has transformed the University of Virginia’s College at Wise’s 1960s library into a state-of-the-art home for its Department of Nursing. This transformative renovation of Don R. Pippin & John C. Wyllie Hall demonstrates how thoughtful design can breathe…
Clark Nexsen was awarded two American Institute of Architects (AIA) Aspire Design Awards at the 2024 AIA Aspire Conference on September 15 in Asheville, North Carolina, for the Patton Building at Blue Ridge Community College and Edneyville Elementary School. An…
Completed in 2022, Blue Ridge Community College’s Patton Building features an appealing, complex façade designed using computational tools to overcome the pandemic’s rapid price escalation without sacrificing design quality. Computational design does more than create cool design elements – it…
Clark Nexsen received a 2023 AIA North Carolina Honor Award for the design of the Patton Building addition and renovation at Blue Ridge Community College. Presented at the annual AIA North Carolina and Design & Chapter Awards event, entries spanned…
The business case for prioritizing occupant well-being in building design is compelling. The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) cites attracting top talent, increasing productivity, and improving environmental, social or governance (ESG) performance as key outcomes of leveraging tools like their…
Effective career and technical education (CTE) spaces play a critical part in enabling community colleges to meet one of their most important objectives: supporting local economic growth through workforce development and readiness. This role puts community and technical colleges at…
Phrases like “patient-centered care” and “team-based care” are indicative of the shift that has taken place in healthcare delivery over the last decade. Collaboration between medical specialties to treat the whole patient is changing the way healthcare professionals deliver care…
Fitts-Woolard Hall was named “Public Project of the Year” by Business North Carolina as part of the magazine’s 2021 Building North Carolina awards. These annual awards recognize some of the state’s most significant real estate projects, evaluated based on design,…
Over the last year, the pandemic has spotlighted the importance of promoting student well-being through a holistic system of environments and resources. In the following, Clark Nexsen’s Chris Brasier, FAIA, leader of the firm’s Higher Education practice, looks at how…
The Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina (SEA of NC) announced the winners of their annual excellence in structural engineering awards program during their statewide conference held in mid-July. Fitts-Woolard Hall at NC State received an Excellence in Structural Engineering…
Premier research universities are powerful economic engines in their regions – they drive innovation, support industry partners, and educate the future workforce. As STEM industries have evolved, so have education and research environments on higher education campuses.
In 2019, Clark Nexsen’s Don Kranbuehl, FAIA, LEED AP, attended the AIA Large Firm Roundtable Summit on Carbon and left with a strong feeling that building design must change in a big way. The built environment accounts for almost 40%…
Research environments on college campuses play a critical role in attracting top tier students and faculty and securing industry partnerships. With STEM career fields burgeoning, these facilities have become increasingly high profile, demanding design and technology that closely mirrors leading…
In the midst of COVID-19, a future home for a school of nursing highlights the interrelated issues of healthcare, economy, and education. Currently in design, the complete renovation of Wyllie Hall on the University of Virginia’s College at Wise campus…
Since the advent of “sustainable design,” designers have argued there is more than an environmental rationale for sustainability – there is a valid economic case for green building design. Today, between the data to back it up and the…
As extreme climatic events become more frequent around the world, designers of the built environment have a crucial role in mitigating climate change by working with nature to develop projects that are both resilient to these extremes and promote long-term…
College campuses today are in a constant state of renewal as they compete for top students, faculty, and industry partnerships. The campus arms race for newer, bigger, and better facilities is challenging institutions to deliver these spaces while budgets remain…
Virtually every college or university has experienced the painful challenge of cutting project scope to meet budget limitations. Even seemingly large budgets, typically accompanied by equally significant project goals, can be quickly consumed. Featuring UNC Charlotte’s multidisciplinary new STEM building…
Graduating workforce-ready students is a critical objective for colleges, universities, and community colleges across the nation. It delivers exponential benefits – the individuals and the organizations they go to work for are more successful, the institution enhances its reputation for…
Academic environments in higher education are changing rapidly, reflecting the advent of new technology and shifting educational models that demand new space typologies. As both educators and designers, Chris Brasier, Dennis Stallings, Don Kranbuehl, and Paul Battaglia are immersed in…
In our changing world, how can buildings and infrastructure be designed to both protect the environment and withstand it? Don Kranbuehl helps lead Clark Nexsen’s sustainability initiatives including our commitment to the 2030 Challenge, and he focuses on implementing resilient design…