Designed by Indianapolis born architect Michael Graves in collaboration with Schmidt Associate, The NCAA Headquarters and Hall of champions are fitting of the H. Roll McLaughlin 25-year award for is  architectural innovation and integration of new design with adaptive use of historic structures. The building reflects the maturation of post-modern influences creating an architecturally cohesive complex. The complex combines iconic post-modern design, adaptive-use of an industrial site, and cultural integration into a building that anchors the development of the both the canal and the White River.

The jury appreciated how the Little Free Pantry elevates an often overlooked piece of community infrastructure through thoughtful design. A simple and elegant response to a meaningful community need, the project brings together context, use, operation, identity, and craft in a cheerful and approachable form. Its inclusive design process adds to the project’s strength, transforming something often treated as a repurposed cabinet or box into a carefully considered piece of social infrastructure. The result demonstrates the meaningful impact that thoughtful architecture can have at even
the smallest scale. The jury also noted the strength of the submission itself: the project

The jury recognized the InterContinental Hotel as a thoughtful example of adaptive reuse that allows the historic character of the Illinois Building to remain central to its newest incarnation. The transformation successfully accommodates contemporary luxury hospitality within a former office building, balancing preservation with new interventions in a way that feels comfortable and natural. Modern amenities coexist with historic components, while the rooftop penthouse adds new program without undermining the building’s historic character. The result demonstrates strong stewardship while giving the building a compelling new life.

The jury appreciated the interiors as a thoughtful continuation of the building’s civic presence. A restrained and consistently executed material palette unifies the project’s diverse lobby, performance, and ancillary spaces, creating a cohesive identity across a complex program. By bringing civic and cultural functions together within an inviting public environment, the interiors reinforce the building’s role as a shared community resource.

The jury appreciated the Damien Center’s ability to create a warm, welcoming environment for a significant community resource. Interior spaces have a hospitality-like character that supports the project’s mission of care while avoiding an institutional feel. Curved vertical elements work effectively within the larger volume, while the mixed-media community mosaic, created through engagement with the community, brings their voices into the project and grounds the interior in the people it serves. Together, these elements create an environment that feels thoughtful, approachable, and deeply connected to its community.

The jury found strength in the project’s simplicity: an adaptable kit-of parts that strips away the unnecessary and celebrates essential function. An elegant roof and straightforward structural system establish a clear architectural identity while allowing the pavilions to respond to a variety of sites. Thoughtful layering of screened elements creates intuitive transitions between public, semi-public, and private spaces, while material choices and careful siting allow the structures to sit quietly within the landscape and minimize site disruption. The result is welcoming civic infrastructure capable of supporting a broader network along the Chattahoochee Riverlands.

The jury appreciated the restraint and discipline evident throughout Riverview Health Arena. Rather than relying on unnecessary gestures, the design concentrates its effort where it has the greatest impact, balancing the spectacle expected of an arena with a comfortable human scale. Clear organization supports intuitive wayfinding and flexible use, while the simple roofline and restrained material palette reinforce the building’s architectural clarity. Particularly successful is the thoughtful use of controllable natural light, which transforms the interior experience and gives the arena an energy uncommon to the typology.

The jury recognized the Damien Center for pairing a powerful community mission with architecture that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and warm. The building establishes a hospitality-like environment for care and support while maintaining a strong civic presence. Its exterior composition thoughtfully breaks down the building’s scale through rhythmic brickwork and carefully proportioned solid and glazed openings, allowing the architecture to reflect and support the activities within. The result is a substantial community resource whose design reinforces the dignity and importance of its mission.

The jury appreciated The Forge as a thoughtful response to the development of its site and the needs of an evolving innovation community. Two primary bars and a central circulation element establish a clear organizational framework while breaking down the mass of the larger program. The relationship between interior and exterior spaces reinforces opportunities for gathering and collaboration, while the green roof extends the site’s landscape into the building as an active programmatic element. Together, these moves create a flexible framework capable of supporting startups, tenants, and the broader community.

The jury appreciated Meridian House as more than a single-family residence, recognizing how architecture enhances its dual roles as both home and gallery. A clear organizational diagram, thoughtful material selection, and beautifully executed detailing create a project that feels at once monumental and domestic. Carefully framed views and soft natural light, achieved through skylights and ceiling details, reinforce a strong connection to the outdoors while creating spaces that feel both curated and livable. The result is a remarkably cohesive project that appears comfortable with itself, its context, and its inhabitants. The submission communicated these ideas particularly well, with a strong, clearly understood presentation that helped the jury see the architectural solution as a complete whole.

The jury was impressed by the project’s elegant response to an exceptionally complex institutional program. A clear organizational diagram and cohesive material strategy give the building a strong identity, while thoughtful massing, shading, and fenestration break down its scale and create an approachable presence within its urban context. At the heart of the project, the light-filled central atrium brings the complex program together, creating a memorable communal space for learning and interaction. The result is a building of clarity and dignity whose architectural expression reinforces its organization rather than competing with it. The submission itself was especially well composed, using diagrams and drawings effectively to explain the project and make a complex building readily understandable.