Landscape Architecture Professional Works
2021-2024 Portfolio
Landscape Architecture Professional Works
2021-2024 Portfolio
Pg. 68-77
Pg. 78-81
Pg. 82-85
Pg. 86-91
Planning | Civic & Cultural
Location: Gretna, Nebraska
Client: City of Gretna
Year: 2022
Project Size: 2150+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, Leland Consulting Group, Marvin Planning Consulting
The purpose of The Crossings Corridor Master Plan is to identify a unified vision and a plan for the future growth and development of the Highway 31 and I-80 corridor area. The Crossings Corridor represents a rare opportunity for the City of Gretna to create a unique and vibrant addition to the community - providing new housing, businesses, retail, and recreational amenities for not only Gretna residents but for the entire Omaha metro. The resulting master plan details the desired mix of land uses, design criteria, and infrastructure needs to achieve the community’s unified vision for this corridor, and outlines recommendations to help seek funding for improvements identified.
Leverage the proximity of Interstate I-80 and the community’s position between Omaha and Lincoln to help ensure the long-term fiscal health of Gretna.
The area north of the interstate and south of the Buffalo Creek Greenway is reserved for regional retail and office placemaking destinations and the south side of the interstate is reserved for land uses that require more truck traffic. This reservation of land for the highest and best land uses will ensure that Gretna takes full advantage of their geographical position within the region.
Create a unique identity for Gretna Crossings that is welcoming to all, by being respectful of Old Town Gretna while looking to the future.
This plan proposes a new civic center paired with downtown scaled buildings and businesses at the heart of the new development. The Civic Center may include a city hall, library, community meeting spaces, and town square. The Civic Center is also surrounded by higher density residential areas, providing the needed energy to keep a Civic Center strong. These development patterns promote unintentional personal intersections of neighbor to neighbor and there is no better way to enhance the sense of community citizens of Gretna all know and love.
Enhance Gretna’s quality of life by promoting walkability and bikeability through a diverse mix of commercial and residential development within Gretna Crossings that is for residents, workers, and visitors.
This plan demonstrates a fine-grained fabric of mixed land uses connected by frequent streets and trails ensuring The Crossings Corridor will be walkable and bikeable as citizens make their daily trips from home to work to entertainment and shopping. Continuous, connected through streets provide convenient access throughout. This plan asks that major barrier streets include walkways, trails and signalized crossings that accommodate pedestrians as a priority.
Enhance the recent park and recreation investment to connect the surrounding Gretna community through recreation and trail systems, allowing this to be the core of the community’s fabric. Parkways, Greenways and curvilinear streets follow the contours of the area, protecting the streams and connecting Gretna Crossing Park to a new civic center just north of the Buffalo Creek Greenway and south to the existing NEX shopping center and future office and retail destination. The Buffalo Creek Greenway is proposed as a place to store stormwater and provide a 2 mile long looping trail, a rather magical length for recreationalist to get a great, little walk. It also provides a place for nature to permeate our built environment.
Planning | Civic & Cultural | 2024 Planning Excellence Award from American Planning Association’s Nebraska Chapter
Location: Osmond, Nebraska
Client: City of Osmond
Year: 2023
Project Size: 75 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Historic Resources Group
This Downtown Revitalization Plan serves as a framework for enhancing the downtown in Osmond, Nebraska through tailored recommendations that will help guide city funding decisions and property investments by individual business owners. These recommendations include implementing design development guidelines for properties, creating a sense of entry into downtown, improving pedestrian safety & access, and beautifying downtown’s streetscape through coordinated site furnishings. These strategies all work to enrich the look and feel of the downtown corridor, establish a cohesive identity for Osmond, and create a safe and welcoming environment that residents and visitors want to spend time in.
Throughout the planning process a stakeholder group of community leaders, city staff, council members, and property owners met to establish a vision for downtown Osmond. This stakeholder committee, as well as the public, collaborated on a series of engagement opportunities to learn, share, and assist in moving the design and plan forward into implementation. While these public meetings were advertised online, in handouts, and through the local newspaper, the scope of participation was expanded with the use of an interactive website. To further support implementation efforts in this rural community, a list of contractors and suppliers, including those with specialized skillsets, was provided for this area of Nebraska.
Known as an industry hub in rural Nebraska, Osmond’s core business district was seeking ways to enhance the downtown’s identity and aesthetics to strengthen tourism and the local economy. After extensive flooding in 2019, new construction sprung up to replace damaged buildings along the eastern edge of downtown and many of the historic properties to the west were left in need of repair. This created a need for building specific guidance on renovations and repairs as well as design development guidelines to ensure proposed improvements are consistent with the community’s goals of creating safe buildings, maintaining architectural character, and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of Osmond’s downtown district.
The vision outlined in this downtown revitalization plan centers on place-making. These reinvestment strategies aim to increase livability, tourism, and future economic growth. Rural communities are often aging communities, and this plan offers solutions for improving accessibility to downtown businesses and enhancing walkability and safety throughout the corridor. The preservation of historic and cultural resources reinforces the area’s unique identity and character. With the addition of other place-making strategies like signage, monuments, and art this plan aims to invite new, young residents to live and stay in Osmond.
Planning | Civic & Cultural
Location: Milford, Nebraska
Client: City of Milford
Year: 2020 - 2024
Project Size: 38 Acre Study Area
Project Team: Confluence, JEO Consulting Group
The resulting plan for Milford is grounded in public engagement that provided insight into the community’s goals and strategies to accomplish that vision. These strategies include implementing development guidelines for properties, creating a sense of entry into downtown, improving pedestrian safety and accessibility, and beautifying downtown’s streetscape through coordinated site furnishings. The outcome was a set of tailormade site and policy recommendations complete with budget information and clear next steps. This plan serves as a final document that positions the city to pursue future grant funding.
Planning | Civic & Cultural
Location: Red Cloud, Nebraska
Client: City of Red Cloud
Year: 2023
Project Size: 35 Acre Study Area
Project Team: Confluence
Nationally recognized for its historic character, the city of Red Cloud worked with Confluence to develop a Downtown Revitalization Plan centered on place-making strategies that aim to increase livability, tourism, and future economic growth while bolstering the area’s unique identity and history. These strategies address building and signage improvements, business resources and incentives, streetscape improvements, plants and maintenance, neighborhood enhancements, and activation of public parks. Through these strategies, this plan aims to enrich the character of downtown Red Cloud and create a safe and welcoming environment for residents and visitors to enjoy.
August 11-September 9, 2022
workshop were provided via an interactive website (Figure 1.14), which was put online in order to broaden project reach (Fig. 1.12). The City of Red Cloud shared the website link through its Facebook page and 575 people saw the original post (Figure 1.11). Overall, 187 people visited the website in the four weeks that it was open for comment (see Appendix for results).
Planning | Civic & Cultural
Location: Stugis, South Dakota
Client: South Dakota Department of Transportation
Year: 2021
Project Size: 6 Miles
Project Team: Confluence, JEO Consulting Group
In 2021, the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, City of Sturgis, and Meade County commenced a study to identify needed improvements to a nearly six-mile-long corridor of US14A and SD34. After analyzing existing travel patterns, traffics volume, infrastructure, and crash reports, project alternatives were developed and presented to the public for feedback. Final recommendations were compiled into a comprehensive report.
During the public engagement portion of the project, the landscape architects proposed design alternatives focusing on streetscape identy, pedestrian crosswalks, gateway monuments, and landscaping along various sections of the corridor.
Planning | Mixed-Use Development
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Community Health Development Partners
Year: 2022
Project Size: 23 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Leo A Daly, Olsson
The Intersections is a place where opportunity, fun and wellness come together. The Intersections will be a campus-like setting with five key components that we believe will draw people from around the region, generate excitement, and positively impact the community. A technology & esports center, action sports complex, wellness center, fitness & rehab spaces, and a community center. Supporting this vibrant development are pedestrian-oriented connections, branded site furnishings, lush landscape plantings, year-long site programming, and an array of public artwork.
Educational | Planning
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Client: Southeast Community College
Year: 2022
Project Size: 135+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence
In pursuit of expanding the campus, Southeast Community College commissioned a team of landscape architects to develop a comprehensive master plan for the long-term growth of the college - reimagining the current car-centric commuter campus as an ecologically resilient, pedestrian-first environment that can accommodate twice as many students as today. The initial focus for the college is to develop an academic core with surrounding a central green, connected by a network of universally accessible pathways. Long-term goals focus on community engagement with plans for an extensive trail network, sports complex, community gym, performance art center, and outdoor amphitheater.
Educational
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Client: Southeast Community College
Year: 2024
Project Size: 3 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, BWBR, Alvine Engineering
In the pursuit of expanding the campus, SCC commissioned a multi-disciplinary team of design and construction experts to devise a nationally recognized science and technology center to not only offer innovative, hands-on learning but act as an integral piece of its social, economic, and ecological fabric. Initiating a new framework for the campus, the siting and design of the Sandhills Global Technology Center sets the stage for reimagining the car-oriented campus as a universally accessible, pedestrian-oriented campus linked to its prairie and wetland ecosystem. With the introduction of biodiverse greenspaces, the site supports outdoor learning and student activities while setting a precedent for the continued expansion of the campus.
Initiating the design process, the architects and landscape architects held a multi-day workshop with an ownership design team to develop a holistic vision for the campus. These preliminary site planning discussions later led to a full-scale master planning effort led by the landscape architects. Sustainability, resiliency, and connection were at the forefront of these conversations as the siting of this facility accounted for building energy performance, habitat preservation, and accessible connections between facilities. This connectivity is further framed by holistic site planning that identifies future connections to and around the site.
As design progressed, stakeholder meetings with students and faculty were held to develop an outdoor environment that would support the curriculum of the new STEM building and adjacent Health Sciences facility. The central plaza was designed as an outdoor classroom offering study tables, open lawn seating, power stations, and Wi-Fi access so students can stay connected outdoors. A network of physical learning spaces were designed to support the training of physical therapists and EMTs, integrating obstacles of slope, curbs, and textured surfacing into the plaza while dedicating space for an ambulatory service drive and for beds of medicinal prairie plants.
The building and its landscape take inspiration from the saline wetlands of Lancaster County in both form and function. Rounded landscape forms intersperse the hardscape of the site allowing the permeable surfacing to recharge the aquifer while the landscape helps to recharge students and staff. This project re-establishes natural prairie habitat, setting a standard on campus for replacing large swatch of imperious hardscape with natural, low-maintenance, and minimally irrigated landscape that will improve the health of the watershed within and beyond the campus. Supporting a comfortable outdoor environment for the college, this project begins to develop a campus forest that will mitigate heat and provide further habitat on campus for years to come.
Educational
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Client: Southeast Community College
Year: 2024
Project Size: 1 Acre
Project Team: Confluence , Alvine
To complement the new Administration addition, Southeast Community College commissioned a new front entry plaza for the campus. A wide promenade connects the new entrance to the main parking lot and bus drop offs with secondary pathways connecting the Culinary Institute & Health Sciences Building. Large open green space is central to space, offering an active zone for events while smaller conversation zones hug the adjacent buildings providing cafe seating, a vegetable and herb garden, and bike parking.
Educational | Planning
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Creighton University
Year: 2018 - 2024
Project Size: 130+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence
The new Master Plan guides future growth and development of the Creighton University campus in Downtown Omaha. The recommendations outlined in this plan also align with the themes identified in the Creighton 150 Strategic Plan. This plan proposes both short-term (10-year) and long-range recommendations to promote campus safety and efficiency, increased accessibility and connectivity, and highlighting the architectural identity and natural beauty of Creighton’s campus.
This master plan outlines six primary components of Creighton’s campus life. An open space component will offer welcoming entrances into the campus, new spaces for collaboration and academic interaction. A pedestrian connectivity component will increase access and safety for students, faculty and the community while a bicycle and transit component will offer more inclusive forms of transportation that better connect Creighton with surrounding neighborhoods. Our team has also crafted a parking strategy component to consolidate surface lots into new parking structures that utilize campus properties more economically and efficiently.
Educational | Residential
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Creighton University
Year: 2023
Project Size: 7 Acres, 400 Residents
Project Team: Confluence, Holland Basham Architects
This residence hall will provide incoming freshmen students a home with a mixture of study and living spaces, as well as convenient parking and a chic, rooftop amenity experience. In alignment with the Campus Master Plan, future additional residence halls will be constructed and configured to frame a new main residential quad. Quality outdoor space is a primary campus focus and the rooftop deck provides a wide variety of active and passive spaces for students.
Educational | Civic & Cultural
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Creighton University
Year: 2024
Project Size: 19,000 SF
Project Team: Confluence, Ehrhart Griffin & Associates, Hydro Dramatics
The reconstruction of the plaza aims to revitalize the public realm in front of the historic church. Completing the redesign of California Mall and serving as a grand entry onto campus, this functional pedestrian and ceremonial plaza speaks to the existing character of its environment and can be activated year-round.
This project is unique as it works to communicate a deep connection to place and to design with historic sensitivity. These design intentions came with many challenges, from preserving the existing 15 foot tall “Eternal Flame” sculpture as the central art piece in the fountain to evoking classic architectural details with modern construction. Through research into materiality, ideation with modeling, and collaboration between disciplines, many of these design details were able to come to life, supporting the vision for a grand entry plaza and fountain that speaks to the existing character and architectural details of its environment and context while supporting long-term, year-round use by the parish and the university.
Educational | Residential
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Creighton University
Year: 2022
Project Size: Varies
Project Team: Confluence
This campus study envisions a unified and equitable outdoor experience for students living in campus residence halls. With an updated site furnishing package and focused site programming, these renovated amenity spaces will instill new life to existing resident halls and provide an outdoor space for yearround activation.
Educational | Residential
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Client: University of Nebraska
Year: 2023
Project Size: Varies
Project Team: Confluence
In efforts to activate and enlive the outdoor living spaces of the UNL’s campus, a comprehensive amenity plan was put together for seven of the school’s residence halls. After taking inventory of the current university site furnishings and residence spaces, this plan proposes a kit-of-parts for program elements that are additive or systematic to the site. Lounge furnishings, outdoor games, kitchens, fire pits, public art and more are proposed throughout the plans. Accompanying cost estimates allow the university to budget and develop these sites over time.
Educational | Recreation | Planning
Location: Kearney, Nebraska
Client: University of Nebraska
Year: 2023
Project Size: 1.6 Acres
Project Team: Confluence
To further enhance and strengthen the UNK campus’ attraction and retention of students, a master planning process was completed for the Union Plaza. The process explored various programming elements to incorporate within the space, going through multiple design iterations, resulting in a final preferred Master Plan. This plan provides shaded seating with power for outdoor studying, open space flexibility for large events, conversation fire pits for relaxation and socialization, and outdoor dining near the food court. Ultimately this master plan aims to serve as flexible, welcoming, vibrant and accessible space for students.
Educational | Residential
Location: Kearney, Nebraska
Client: University of Nebraska
Year: 2024
Project Size: 4.5 Acres
240+ Residents
Project Team: Confluence, BWBR Basham Architects
The new Fraternity and Sorority Life housing complex includes a renovated Martin Hall, left, and construction of a new residence hall, right, directly east of the Nebraskan Student Union. The common open space serves as an event lawn for the greek chapters and a green corridor to the student union for other students. The existing parking lot was redesigned to incorporate more landscape islands, additional ADA parking, and a streetside drop-off zone.
Educational
Location: Kearney, Nebraska
Client: University of Nebraska
Year: 2023
Project Size: 10,000 SF
Project Team: Confluence
The new pronghorn antelope sculpture is a point of pride for the University of NebraskaKearney’s campus. Representative of the school’s athletic teams, The Lopers, this bronze sculpture sits as a focal point of a new plaza and drop-off at a main entry on campus. The plaza itself invokes natural materials to situate the sculpture within the landscape. Limestone that draws from the nearby architecture was used for benches along the drop-off and for the stone wall that divides the circular plaza from the Nebraska native plantings framing “The Loper” sculpture.
“This sculpture will provide an iconic place on our campus for people to gather,” “It will inspire some, and others will reflect upon their experiences on campus, but for everyone it will serve as a point of Loper pride.”
Educational | Recreation
Location: Peru, Nebraska
Client: Peru State College
Year: 2024
Project Size: 7 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Leo A Daly
Peru State College desires to increase recruitment of students, faculty, and staff by expanding the existing baseball / softball complex. The first phase of upgrades include two new buildings: a practice house which contains locker rooms, athletic training, and office / conference space for coaches; and the largest addition, an 100’ inflating-structure multipurpose dome, will expand student access to pickup games, club sports and individual workouts with a turf field, two full-sized courts, and weight training area.
Recreation | Civic & Cultural | Planning
Location: Columbus, Nebraska
Client: City of Columbus Year: 2023
Project Size: 175+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence , BVH Architecture, Morrissey Engineering
As the City of Columbus aims to provide its residents with excellent, modern, and diverse recreational opportunities and activities it has turned its attention to developing a long-range master plan for the improvement of the historic and signature Pawnee Park and Gerrard Park. This plan establishes a vision for Gerrard Park, Pawnee Park East, and Pawnee Park West and combines community input and desires with a holistic and environmentally responsible vision: with the renovation and addition of sport court & fields, shelters, playgrounds, water features, parking, landscape, and signage.
Recreation | Civic
Location: Ida Grove, Iowa
Client: City of Ida Grove
Year: 2024
Project Size: 6 Acres
Project Team: Confluence
City Park, located in the heart of Ida Grove’s community, serves as a recreation space for sport court users, families, and teams. This master plan reinvigorates the space with a new state of the art splash pad and playground, group pavilion, amphitheater lawn, and a new parking lot with drop off loop. Spectator seating, fire pit lounges, swings, and family shelters are found throughout the space and universally accessible by a walking trail around the park.
BEFORE
Recreation | Civic & Cultural
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: City of Omaha
Year: 2024
Project Size: 32+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Schemmer
A rehabilitation and reinvestment into an underutilized City park, this project provides premiere outdoor recreation for the surrounding neighborhood residents and larger Omaha community. The plan was developed to respond to community input on recreation and creates a phased approach for implementation of short-term and long-term improvements. The first phase of this project transforms the park into a recreational hub that offers a new skatepark, futsal court, ½ court basketball, and renovated baseball field. A new walking loop connects the reinvigorated entry drive to the heart of the park and family picnic areas offer a relaxing setting amid all the active amenities.
Recreation | Healthcare
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Ronald McDonald House Charities
Year: 2023
Project Size: 1 Acre
Project Team: Confluence, JE Dunn Construction
Following a building expansion, RMHC hired Confluence to design a play-oriented walking trail around the property. A tunneled play mound, swing, log steppers and musical play elements can be found around the trail, interspersed within a landscape featuring Nebraska native plantings , boulders, and wildlife sculptures. Terminating the walk is a reflexology path that offers a theraputic experience for residents. While resident children play, parents can relax in bistro style seating on a flagstone patio.
Recreation | Healthcare
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Ronald McDonald House Charities
Year: 2024
Project Size: 3300+ SF
Project Team: Confluence
This courtyard was renovated to provide a true playground experience to those staying at Ronald McDonald House and a relaxing lounge space and outdoor kitchen for families. Colorful surfacing, airy plant materials, overhead lighting, and engaging play equipment brighten this courtyard experience while soft cushioned lounge furniture and large canopy trees help provide comfort in the space.
Waterfront | Recreation | 2023 ASLA Nebraska Dakotas Chapter Award of Merit | 2024 ASLA Central States Conference Award of Merit
Location: Crofton, Nebraska
Client: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Year: 2022 - Ongoing
Project Size: 52 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, AMI Consulting Engineers, Schemmer, Houston Engineering
The redesign and expansion of Weigand Marina aims to grow and improve marina facilities at Lewis and Clark Lake, a regional destination for boaters, campers, and families. The increased popularity and use of the park showed the need for improved facilities both in lake and on shore. New features include a headquarters building, amenity plaza, shower house, boat ramp, kayak launch, new boat slips for various sizes and uses, as well as new trails and parking areas to improve accessibility and connectivity. The vision for this project is to create a place that people can enjoy whether spending time on or off the water.
Confluence, leading a team of consultants, prepared this master plan based on input from the client, design team, and public stakeholders at both in-person and online public input events. The final design was successful as it minimized environmental disturbances such as shoreline excavation and revetment while creating the most impact for the park with connected natural systems, improved recreation zones, consolidated circulation paths, and expanded aquatic activities.
The marina plaza, which acts as the marina’s social heart, serves the users in different months of the year and hours of the day while maximizing the marina’s economic viability through the integration of commercial spaces such as waterfront restaurants and cafes. The fire pit is central to the plaza, drawing inspiration from Lewis and Clark’s keelboat, and supported by a wave motif within the pavement. An event lawn, hammock grove, nature playground, enclosed patio bar, and waterfront seating offer activities for all users to enjoy.
The 526 slip marina accommodates a matrix of sizes and types of vessels based on user-demand studies, including sailboats, powerboats, yachts, and personal watercraft. Dredging and in-lake improvements will provide depth and protection for boaters. The new marina design allows for efficient movement and protection of boats, pedestrians, and vehicles within the marina. This efficiency can be seen with the new boat ramp circulation and parking which provides easy access to the four-lane boat ramp, tie-down area, fishing tournament space, and the boat and fish cleaning stations. Special challenges for this project include endangered species monitoring, “no-disturbance” dates, and keeping the existing marina operational through most of construction, create large variables in schedule projection.
Waterfront | Recreation
Location: Ogallala, Nebraska
Client: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Year: 2024
Project Size: 250+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence, AMI Consulting Engineers, Schemmer, Houston Engineering
In response to growing interest at Nebraska’s largest reservoir, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission engaged the design team to develop a vision for marina facilities that can conform to this challenging site. After undergoing a significant site analysis phase, the team selected the Diver’s Bay site to house the 110 slip marina, with a service elevation ranging from 3220 to 3270 feet ensuring continous functionality and accessibility. Gangways and platforms arranged in a switchback style, optimize ADA compliance and utility access as visitors traverse from the visitor’s building and parking lot to the marina.
The Lake McConaughy Marina Project possesses a suite of challenges that have been witnessed by NGPC staff in maintaining recreational areas at the lake. Some of these challenges include water level fluctuation, climate variability, wind fetch, elevation differentials, the remote location of the lake, FERC regulations, and budget. Lake levels cannot be predicted at Lake McConaughy solely on a storm frequency basis like many reservoirs as they are controlled by Central for irrigation purposes and the annual “starting” reservoir level varies widely - historically ranging 72 feet. This water level change paired with the site’s steep slopes and remote location creates challenges for construction, accessibility, and maintenance.
A comprehensive assessment was conducted to evaluate potential sites for a new marina in Lake McConaughy. Key factors considered included wave exposure, in-water traffic flow, impacts on neighboring developments and existing boat launches, dredging requirements, and overall feasibility. This study led to locating the marina in Diver’s Bay Cove due to lower anticipated costs for wave attenuation and minimal dredging requirements at a minimum service elevation of 3220 feet. The in-lake marina design comprises 110 slips along with 6 concessionaire slips, providing space for boaters while integrating essential amenities and services at the dock. An 80’ service dock offers fuel, a concessionaire stand, and two HDPE vault toilets.
Upland amenities to support the marina include a 100-stall parking lot, visitor building, small entry plaza, vault restrooms, and universally accessible pathways to navigate the site. With four upland locations studied, the final site was selected due to it’s proximity to the main road & marina facilities. The site’s elevated inland location also reduced risk of erosion and provided good views out to the lake. In order to achieve consistent marina access with the lake’s water level fluctuations, four transition routes were evaluated for feasibility, user experience, and maintenance / operations. Gangways and platforms are used in the final design as a costefficient, low-maintenance, and universally accessible alternative.
Civic & Cultural
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Client: City of Lincoln
Year: 2018 - 2024
Project Size: 4 Miles
Project Team: Confluence, Speece Lewis Engineers, City of Lincoln, JEO Consulting Group
Identified by the City as a significant entry corridor, streetscape enhancements were designed to highlight the entryway’s historic significance as part of the Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway. Confluence was hired to help address both aesthetic and functional improvements along the corridor, setting the stage for added private reinvestment. Improvements include street trees and understory landscaping, gateway elements, public art, sidewalk and trail connections, public transit facilities, enhanced crosswalk design, site furnishings, and banners and other branding enhancements.
Civic & Cultural
Location: Walt Hill, Nebraska
Client: Picotte Board
Year: 2020 - 2024
Project Size: 1.3 Acres
Project Team: Confluence
Great strides are underway in restoring the former hospital site to a place that honors its history while addressing the needs of today’s community. Inspired by the practice and vision of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, Confluence developed a master plan for the site of the former Memorial Hospital. This plan reimagines the site as a community center that provides a place to learn and celebrate the culture of the Omaha Nation and Walthill community. The proposed plan embraces the customs and heritage of the site with an outdoor classroom/amphitheater, community garden planted with indigenous medicinal plants, kilns for traditional pottery, interpretive signage, and native prairie plantings.
Civic & Cultural
Location: Columbus, Nebraska
Client: City of Columbus
Year: 2020 - Ongoing
Project Size: 2.2 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, BVH, Olsson, Boyd Jones Construction
The Columbus Community Building is the new home for the public library, city hall, and children’s museum. The shared facility supports the city’s vision to provide a downtown anchor and enrich community connections. Located in the heart of downtown Columbus, it represents a much-needed community resource and gathering space where Columbus residents can engage with amenities that foster lifelong learning through a variety of spaces, events, and resources.
Civic & Cultural
Location: Papillion, Nebraska
Client: Sarpy County
Year: 2023
Project Size: 20 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Ehrhart Griffin
Currently the landscape around Sarpy County’s Administration building is dominated by asphalt parking - with this master plan the county hopes to beautify the campus while improving vehicular and pedestrian circulation and safety. The reimagined campus simplifies vehicular travel, using main drives to help orient visitors and create a sense of entry. Large plazas create a welcoming landscape for visitors and employees of the campus and the dense, native landscape plants enliven the space, providing habitat for wildlife and pollinators. With a phased construction, these pedestrian plazas will be part of the intial investment as they enhance usability and prioritize the user.
Civic & Cultural
Location: Grand Island, Nebraska
Client: EPIC Discovery Center
Year: 2023
Project Size: 3.75 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Olsson CMBA Architects
The EPIC Discovery Center is an emerging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math)-based children’s museum that will provide exhibits and programming for youth and children of all ages. Capitalizing on Grand Island’s proximity to the prominent Platte River, the landscape around this children’s museum is designed to reflect its habitat and form. With interpretive signage throughout the site kids can learn about water’s impact on sculpting the landscape, how it supports various plant and wildlife communities, and how its draw to people throughout Grand Islands’ history.
Hospitality & Resort | Recreation
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Indian Creek Golf Club
Year: 2023
Project Size: 7 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, BVH Architecture
The building and landscape renovations to the Indian Creek Golf Course Clubhouse begin to blur the lines between exterior and interior space. From the entry drive up, throughout the parking lot, and surrounding the patio terraces, verdant swaths of prairie grass, native forbs, and juniper mounds frame views to the golf course beyond and speak to the Nebraska’s prairie ecosystem. Materiality brings warmth to the site with brick, wood, and stone accents highlighted by the site’s lighting design as dusk falls. This beautiful, natural environment serves as an ideal backdrop for the clubhouse’s recreation activities and larger events.
Hospitality & Resort
Location: Columbus, Nebraska
Client: Harrah’s
Year: 2022
Project Size: 50+ Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design
The Columbus Casino & Race Track project aims to provide the fun, lively atmosphere of a casino while still feeling like Nebraska’s Platte County. This is why the prairie landscape sits at the forefront of this project. Parking lots feature wide landscape islands to break up the hardscape surface. Tall canopy trees provide shade throughout the main plaza, parking lots, and horse barns. Dense landscape buffers enclose the site and offer wind breaks to the open field. A prairie infield offers seasonal interest and pollinator habitat, complemented by the infield wetlands which help retain water on-site.
Healthcare | Recreation
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Client: Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals
Year: 2024
Project Size: 1.5 Acres
Project Team: Confluence, Nature Sacred
Re-establishing nature’s place within the healthcare system, this master plan transforms the site into a physical, emotional, and social respite from the stress of hospital life. Ecologically significant, the lush gardens supports pollinator habitat with wildflower meadows and garden feeders while a bioswale enhances stormwater management on site as it’s sea of native grasses winds through the site. Accessible lounges, café seating, and journaling benches are scattered throughout the gardens granting users choice between selfreflection or social connection. Supporting active therapy use, the site features wide sidewalks, handrails along sloped trails, and open lawn for recreation, training, and events. A universally accessible garden offers patients hands-on experience cultivating herbs and vegetables and provides volunteers with a cutting garden to make bouquets for residents.
Healthcare | Recreation
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals
Year: 2024
Project Size: 6250 SF
Project Team: Confluence, Nature Sacred
Nestled into the center Madonna Omaha’s campus, this 6,250 SF courtyard revitalizes the outdoor environment providing a refuge of mental wellness. Responding to Madonna’s core value of stewardship, this renovation subtly enhances and builds upon the guiding framework of the original design. The project underscores the original design’s intent while extending its spirit to several new, accessible outdoor spaces of relaxation and socialization. A new wooden pergola provides pleasant shade over the soft, relaxing outdoor lounge and social dining area, helping blur the lines between interior and exterior space while benches and lounge chairs offer a relaxing respite further out in the garden. Bubbling rock fountains intersperse the verdant swaths of tactile pollinator plants and seasonal cutting flowers, providing a pleasant background to the sensory garden experience.
Mixed-Use Development | Planning
Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa
Client: Iowa West Foundation Year: 2021
Project Size: 46 Acres
Project Team: Confluence
This project strengthens, connects, and unifies The Mid-America Center (MAC) into a singular, active campus. The MAC master plan works to improve site aesthetics by planting lush landscape islands, simplifying site furnishings, connecting active spaces with pedestrian-first design, integrating bicycle facilities into the site, and establishing a distinct identity that highlights public artwork and offers playful experiences throughout the site.
Mixed-Use Development
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: R&R Realty Group
Year: 2023
Project Team: Confluence
A cohesive signage and wayfinding plan was developed for this new office park development in west Omaha. Signage was to relate to the recently constructed monument & fountain at the Waterford building. Metal, concrete, tile, and stone materials were explored in this study to determine which alternatives the client preferred.
Mixed-Use Development | Planning
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Client: City of Omaha
Year: 2024
Project Size: 4.5 Acres
Project Team: Confluence , Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture
The Forever North project envisions a strategy for housing and multi-modal transporation with the historic North Omaha neighborhood. The multi-use development on 24th & Lake Street is planned to include up to 100 housing units for rent, a daycare, food services, retail and office spaces as well as community facing and collaborative spaces. Streetscape improvements aim to improve walkability and public transportation within the neighborhood, with new Metro stops along the development. This project will spur further growth and attract other businesses as the area continues to transform.
