Grand Awards

Hdr

Headquartered in Omaha since 1884, Kiewit Corporation is one of the largest contractors in the world. When the company decided to build a new headquarters, it decided on a north downtown location adjacent to its recently completed training center, Kiewit University, in part to encourage neighborhood redevelopment and reaffirm the company’s commitment to Omaha and Nebraska.

The seven-story 180,000-square-foot building and connected parking structure houses 650 employees in a progressive workplace environment that fosters collaboration and interaction to support Kiewit’s global operations. In harmony with the surrounding city buildings, the ground floor is clad in brick, enlivening the street. The glass-clad office tower above features an enclosed, elevated walkway connecting to the training center. The building configuration incorporates covered pedestrian plazas and elevated exterior patios for gathering.

The brick cladding evokes images of the turn-of-the-century warehouses that once filled downtown Omaha. Inside the building, the owner wanted a “loft” aesthetic to help recruit and retain younger employees. The steel framing remains exposed throughout most of the building as part of the “loft” look. Because of this, the team made significant efforts to provide a clean layout of all exposed mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and lighting systems.

In the office tower, the owner wanted as open a floor plan as possible. By shifting the core elements to the building’s north side, the team provided a 60-foot-wide, 250-foot-long, uninterrupted bay on the south side of the building, allowing for maximum flexibility in laying out the office space.