OMAHA, NE — The Leo A Daly-designed Carson Headquarters, a 200,000-square-foot commercial campus in Omaha, Nebraska, has been awarded the 2022 Architectural Engineering Alumni Project Award from the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska. The project, which won in the interdisciplinary category, was acknowledged during a recent awards banquet.

Sited near the highest elevation of a bourgeoning mixed-use development in West Omaha, the campus has been dubbed a “beacon for talent.” Harmony between architecture and engineering capture ample daylighting and retain unobstructed views while reducing energy use and emissions by 15 percent. The campus is enveloped in electrochromic glass, which requires no window coverings to shield the interior from solar gain and excess daylight.

The winning firm’s Nebraska alumni who designed the project were invited to share details with current students and faculty during the award ceremony. Presenters included: Mechanical Engineer Dave Bailey, PE; Michael Kuhlenengel, a Ph.D. candidate who led the project’s post-occupancy design verification; and Structural Engineer Tim Morrison, SE.

While communicating Carson’s dynamic work-live-play culture through a transparent skin, ascending architectural flourishes impress occupants with a sense of soaring. Interior lighting creates a visual experience with color and skin-tone fidelity and optimal concentrations of Melonopic lux, which help govern sleep cycles. Efficient mechanical design resulted from extensive engineering analysis that led to a lower energy profile for the life of the building while enhancing thermal comfort for occupants.

After occupants moved into the building, the firm conducted a month-long post-occupancy evaluation to verify design. Data points were captured, organized categorically, and shared internally to enhance future projects. Data was also shared with the envelope’s manufacturer. The data can now be retrieved by the manufacturer to refine calibration of Carson’s electrochromic envelope and inform future product implementations across the industry.

Established in 1915, Leo A Daly is an international architecture, planning, engineering, interior design, and program management firm. The company's portfolio includes projects in 87 countries, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia. The firm currently employs approximately 800 architects, planners, engineers, and interior designers in 30 offices worldwide.