The Future of Coastal Design

Photos by Elizabeth Neal / Story by Catherine Kozak

One of the most striking buildings on the Outer Banks doesn’t necessarily look as if it belongs here. But although Roanoke Island’s Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) has a number of architectural features that seem to set it apart from many other local structures, it was actually designed by incorporating wisdom learned from decades of coastal development.

Modern and bold, the long rectangular edifice of concrete and glass is oriented to the south, with one end facing an expansive view of the Croatan Sound. Located in the village of Skyco in between Manteo and Wanchese, and elevated off the flat landscape on concrete pilings, it perfectly showcases what green-minded building design can do when it’s deliberately meant to complement its natural setting.

But it took a lot of effort to make CSI a reality. In 1994, a University of North Carolina task force identified the need for a marine research and education facility in the northeast part of the state. Nine years later in 2003, the fledgling institute worked out of an office in downtown Manteo with a mere handful of staff .

Construction of a CSI campus was authorized by the state in 2007, with initial plans placing it on land-locked property near the regional airport on Roanoke Island that had been donated by Dare County. But when a 200-acre parcel in Skyco became available, the institute decided that the site was a much better location for coastal research – leading to an $8.25 million deal with a private developer in 2009.

A year later, architects with the firm Clark Nexsen saw the opportunity to blend cutting-edge design and technology with long-standing local building styles – which led to CSI’s simple lines and other features that were inspired in part by the classic Southern Shores flat tops pioneered by Frank Stick and the rugged durability of the cottages found in Nags Head’s oceanfront historic district.

“The firm gave a presentation about Outer Banks architecture to our board of directors,” recalls Robert McClendon, CSI’s assistant director for administration. “Basically, they integrated a lot of things used in coastal architecture, like raising the building on pilings.”

By utilizing sustainable, local materials, minimizing the disturbance of natural resources, and maximizing water conservation and energy efficiency, the $32 million coastal research campus earned an impressive gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council when it opened in late 2012. The project has since won numerous other accolades, including the council’s North Carolina Sustainability Award in 2013 and the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award for Best New Global Design in 2014.

And construction of a LEED-certified building was the plan from the beginning, even though it added about $350,000 to the project’s overall costs, according to an estimate done in 2007.

“LEED isn’t just about energy efficiency and the environmental footprint,” Robert explains about their decision to move forward despite the increased budget. “It’s also about the health of the occupants.”

A variety of native plants line the entranceway to the CSI campus, which is a research partnership led by East Carolina University along with several other N.C. universities. A sleek design and features such as concrete pilings and large windows help CSI blend well with itsnatural setting.

Inside, the space is open, airy and remarkably merged with the marsh outside – a view of which is visible from a number of different perspectives thanks to the high ceilings, transparent corridor walls and the clerestory windows. Steel and cable rail stairwells also seem to fl oat up three stories that lead to classrooms, research labs and offices, and the building was designed so that at least 95% of its occupiable space is exposed to daylight.

Beyond obvious highlights such as a bicycle storage area and reserved onsite parking for energy-efficient vehicles, however, the building’s green features aren’t always immediately evident. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there – including a geothermal HVAC system that utilizes untreated water provided by Dare County, an 8,000-gallon cistern for rainwater reuse, hard roof and patio surfaces that reduce solar heat, and a fi re-suppression system created with environmentally safe materials. Even construction products such as paints were selected for their low-emission qualities.

Native landscaping is another significant feature of the 213-acre campus, which includes the 90,000-squarefoot main building and an 18,000-square-foot marine operations and field research facility. But before the site became home to CSI, it was used as a place to deposit dredge material removed from nearby Shallowbag Bay. As a result, the elevation was raised, and a salty sand cover left the area devoid of vegetation.

“When we built it, this was basically a no-man’s land,” Robert says. “It was just flat.”

Jeff Lewis, CSI’s horticultural specialist, has since restored the landscape with native plant species, which are labeled for the public to view. Upland grasses, beach pea, loblolly pine, cedar and wax myrtle have also returned to the higher and dryer elevations on the property.

“It’s taken time, but it’s really growing up beautifully,” Robert says. “The campus itself is now part of the educational process.”