Albert McDonald was honored with the 2018 Emerging Professional Award given by the American Institute of Architects North Carolina Chapter. He received the award October 19 at an awards ceremony in Durham. Albert is a senior architect and associate principal in Clark Nexsen’s Raleigh office. He is driven by his passion for architecture, his personal explorations as a designer, and a committed advocacy for his community.

Among his noteworthy projects are Semans Library at UNC School of the Arts, Abbotts Creek Community Center in Raleigh, NC, and Building K at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, NC.

Albert is the second recipient of the Chapter’s Emerging Professional Award given in recognition of leadership within the profession by an architect who has been practicing for less than 10 years.

“Albert’s design talent is obvious. Even more remarkable is that he is deeply committed to serving the community. Through his work with the AIA Triangle board of directors, the Raleigh Appearance Commission, and his numerous volunteer commitments to the NC State School of Architecture, Albert has been a staunch advocate for our profession and a positive role model for aspiring architects.”
— David Hill, AIA – Head, School of Architecture-NCSU School of Design

Taking the rigor of the academic design studio into his professional career, Albert continues to hone his skills as a designer by participating in national and international design competitions. In 2009, he received the first-place award from over 150 entries worldwide for his solo entry in the AIA Committee on Design Ideas Competition.

Recognizing opportunities to provide mentorship and design opportunities, he formed an initiative within Clark Nexsen called Combustion Chamber to provide an experimental realm of design discovery through design competitions. Through this initiative, Clark Nexsen team members can exercise and build confidence in their design skills, experiment with project typologies, and engage the community in meaningful discourse about design. Combustion Chamber efforts to date have resulted in recognition from three AIA-NC sponsored design competitions, including two first place awards.

Albert received a Bachelor in Architecture from NC State University in 2008. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and received the Faculty Award for Design Excellence. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of North Carolina Charlotte.