U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development
Colorado Springs
Award of Merit
Owner U.S. Air Force Academy
Lead Design Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Civil, Structural & MEP Engineer Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
General Contractor ECC
The Air Force Academy’s Center for Character & Leadership Development serves as an education and research center and supports the academy’s mission to integrate character and leadership development into the cadet experience. The 46,000-sq-ft building has spaces dedicated to cadets, professors and the public. The design includes the Forum, a flexible gathering space for academic and social interaction; conference and seminar rooms; offices; a library; and the Honor Board Room, where inquiries related to the Cadet Honor Code take place. The center is an architectural focal point for the campus and serves as a counterpoint to the iconic cadet chapel. A dramatic 105-ft skylight brings light into the building. It aligns precisely with the North Star, which symbolizes the academy’s guiding values.
