Chris Brasier, FAIA’s career reflects an unwavering belief in the power of collective vision, diverse perspectives, and the long game of architectural practice. From his earliest work at O’Brien/Atkins—where he collaborated with Phil Freelon, FAIA, and John Atkins, FAIA—Chris embraced the idea that design excellence is a team pursuit, strengthened by curiosity, rigor, and the integration of varied viewpoints. Surrounded by colleagues with a growth mindset, he developed a deep commitment to elevating each project and advancing the profession through purposeful, community-focused work.

With an approach shaped equally by design and business acumen, Chris has consistently sought to connect design thinking with analytical problem-solving. His MBA training reinforced the value of teamwork and broadened his strategic lens, enabling him to contribute unique insights that bridged qualitative and quantitative reasoning. This blend of skills helped propel early successes—such as O’Brien/Atkins’ RDU project being featured in Architectural Record, a rare achievement for a North Carolina firm at the time.

Chris’ leadership took on new dimensions when he joined The Freelon Group as a partner, helping guide the young firm in its formative years. Together with Phil Freelon, he shaped a long-term vision that fused design excellence with community impact. Under their leadership, the firm grew significantly in both scale and influence—expanding into the mid-Atlantic, California, and beyond—while cultivating a diverse team and securing transformative cultural and educational projects, particularly on HBCU campuses and in historically underserved communities.

When SmithGroup sought to establish a foothold in North Carolina, Chris again took on the challenge of building a new practice rooted in design excellence and strategic vision. In its first year, the new office secured major commissions at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, and Duke University—including Duke’s first LEED Platinum building. Although the Great Recession brought significant disruption, Chris used the period of transition to embrace a new opportunity for impact.

Joining Clark Nexsen, Chris undertook the ambitious task of shaping a culture of design excellence within a multidisciplinary AE firm traditionally known for federal work. His leadership helped articulate a firmwide vision, strategic plan, and organizational framework that elevated design, strengthened professional development, and aligned practice goals with long-term aspirations. This sustained work contributed to Clark Nexsen being named the Architect’s Newspaper 2024 XL Best of Practice in the Southeast, recognized for its design quality, culture, community engagement, sustainability, research, and technology. As juror John Marvel noted, “The quality of the work feels authentic—this seems like a great place to work.”

“Chris’s impact on his colleagues, students, and the profession is profound and far-reaching. His dedication to leadership, architectural education, and service to the AIA has been nothing short of remarkable.” Said Dennis Stallings, FAIA.