Clark Nexsen 

Location: Wanchese North Carolina

Located on the banks of Roanoke Island, the Coastal Studies Institute Research Building is surrounded by vast expanses of wetlands and sweeping views of the Croatan Sound.   As the main building on this new coastal campus, the facility’s mission is to be a model of sustainability in its response to the land and water.  An existing canal governs its simple bent form aligning the building with the canal capturing views of the water and sky.  The building is elevated on piloti touching the ground lightly and interacts with the landscape through its site walls, natural lawns, and covered outdoor spaces.