2024 IES Omaha People's Choice Award Submissions

The winner will be announced at the 2024 IES Omaha Awards Celebration

1501 Mike Fahey Office Building

HDR & Noddle Companies

Located at 1501 Mike Fahey St. in the Builder’s District, this project is billed as Omaha’s first “hybrid-timber” office building. The lighting design team used fully concealed interior luminaires to highlight the timber elements and show off the unique structure. Linear grazer luminaires are integrated into the header and sill of the vertical facade openings on the East and West faces. Bollards and columns are provided in wood finish to align with the building’s structural mass timber elements and illuminate the North courtyard.

Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm

 

Bancfirst Tower

Alvine Engineering & Bockus Payne

BancFirst Tower in Oklahoma City was seeking to break the mold in exterior brand expression by creating an inviting yet sophisticated ambiance. The “crown” jewel of the exterior architectural lighting features rows of linear RGBA LED fixtures, utilizing DMX controls, which allow the building owner to complement and replicate Oklahoma’s famous sunsets in a way RGB or RGBW fixtures could not. The crown lighting controls are also tied into the RGBA fixtures that illuminate the glass structures at the entrances to the concourse level below, beckoning to passersby.

Photo Credit: Justin Myers Photography

 

Confidential Office Renovation

HDR

For this office renovation, the design team crafted a vibrant, adaptable environment by seamlessly blending aesthetics with functionality. The collaboration space features an array of globe pendants as a striking focal point, anchored by black pendants that form a structured pattern, supporting flexible furniture arrangements. In the adjacent meeting room, sleek linear pendants provide even illumination and balances the overall composition of the spaces. This lighting integration enhances the space’s aesthetic appeal while fostering creativity and effective teamwork.

Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm

 

Creighton University – Skutt Student Center Renovation

LEO A DALY

Creighton University’s Skutt Student Center deftly blends functionality, aesthetics, and student-centered engagement. Designed to enhance the dynamic atmosphere, lighting seamlessly transitions between social lounges and study areas. Creating a bright and welcoming environment for students to gather, lighting ensures a balanced environment conducive to both relaxation and concentration.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler

Dolomiti | Pizzeria & Enoteca

Morrissey Engineering INc. & Scoppa Architecture

The historic Ashton Building is home to Dolomiti Pizzeria and Enoteca, where the irresistible aromas of wood-fired sourdough pizza welcome you. The bright, vibrant space exudes warmth, with floor tiles and a striking light fixture—marking where an elevator once stood—drawing you in. Discreet track lighting, nestled within the wooden beams, highlights the historic brick walls and warm wood accents. The bar is inviting, enhanced by under-cabinet lighting, while the mint green pizza oven, the heart of the establishment, commands attention in the open-front kitchen, offering a unique experience.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler

Duchesne Acadely Chapel Renovation

Alvine Engineering & BHV

Rooted in over 100 years of tradition, the Duchesne Academy underwent a much-needed transformation of its chapel. The chapel previously suffered from low light levels in the pews and at the altar, making it ineffective during evening services. Existing decorative pendants were fitted with LED A-lamps, and small aperture downlights were added to the high ceiling, helping achieve better light levels in the pews while respecting the chapel’s aesthetic. Track lighting was concealed at the altar to bring prominence to the tabernacle and provide better illumination for clergy and congregation.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler

 

Duchesne Academy Theater

Alvine Engineering & BHV

The Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart auditorium underwent a complete renovation, providing a much-needed modern multi-functional performing arts space. The auditorium now boasts contemporary linear pendants coordinated with acoustical ceiling clouds, as well as linear lighting spanning the width of the space, extending up, over, and down the existing column and beam surrounds. Close architectural coordination allowed for an integrated continuous phosphor LED tape to provide appropriate step lighting at the new tiered auditorium risers.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler

FNBO Coffeeshop

Alvine engineering & RDG

The refurbishment of the FNBO tower encompassed a comprehensive redesign of the grab-and-go bar and coffee shop. The updated lighting establishes a contemporary and welcoming atmosphere. Close collaboration was necessary to ensure that the lighting highlights the architectural features while also delivering practical solutions. The track lighting offers adjustable illumination for the baristas, while the gold arch and tile details are enhanced by a flexible LED cove. Custom sconces contribute to the overall aesthetic of the shop while guiding customers to the ordering and pickup zones.

Photo Credit: AJ Brown Imaging

Le Macaron French Pastries

Morrissey Engineering Inc.

Le Macaron French Pastries is fearless when taking whisks in the kitchen. The newly opened franchise location in Aksarben Village provides guests with a small vendor cart feel and big, bold colors. The pastry shop shows off a unique tiered ceiling design and indirect lighting, giving off the feeling of standing on the plaza under the Eiffel Tower. Like their colorful and delectable treats, this sweet shop creates an unforgettable experience with French-inspired decor, deep and pastel pinks, and bright white globe lighting mimicking the streetlights of the Champs de Mars.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler

Mammel Innovation Center

HDR

The Mammel Innovation Center—renovated for Children’s Nebraska’s campus—is a cutting-edge hub for healthcare innovation and state-of-the-art technology. The design features a high-contrast palette and futuristic geometry in the lighting and materials. The flex workspace ceiling was simplified with black and white paint and louvered linear pendants to emphasize strong shapes, delivering low-glare lighting. The Maker Space includes task lighting via a lit fabric panel that extends the column edge and mirrors the table footprint below, creating a visual and functional focal point.

Photo Credit: HDR

Mesa County Early Childhood Center and Community Hall

Alvine engineering & RDG

The Clifton community campus will be the resident population’s public destination for resources, activities, and a high-quality, licensed early childhood education and care. Working within a tight budget, the goal of the exterior lighting was to accentuate the perforated metal panels without disrupting the views of the night sky at this rural campus. Utilizing an exterior rated tape light to create a scrim lighting effect, the translucency of the metal panel system creates a light, airy feel to the façade. This also serves as a cost-effective way to light the pathways to the building.

Photo Credit: Alvine Engineering

The Elder Theatre Renovation

HDR

The Elder Theatre Renovation is a tale of transformation where light becomes an immersive feature defining the space. The design enhances both theatre students’ and the audience’s experience, transforming a 1980s building into a contemporary venue. The existing open truss ceiling was clad in drywall to reduce visual noise and conceal conduit and piping. The resulting coffered ceiling is punctuated by pattern of pendants, emphasizing the geometry. Lighting is integrated into the acoustic wall panels to accent the clean, bright space that sets the stage for the life and color within the theatre.

Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm

Nick's Quorum, Hilton Omaha

LEO A DALY

Nick’s Quorum provides a sleek, traditional dining experience, featuring design elements that exude luxury. Contemporary lighting highlights the warm atmosphere and casts a glow over the sophisticated interior. Behind the bar, a meticulously curated selection of spirits is on display, enhancing the venue’s upscale yet welcoming ambiance, ideal for dinners or vibrant social gatherings.

Photo Credit: Emma Morem

Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo Hubbard Orangutan Exhibit

morrissey engineering

The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo’s newly renovated Hubbard Orangutan Exhibit features a new space for Denda, the zoo’s newest male Orangutan. The exterior elements feature soft lighting and unique viewing areas for patrons. The indirect lighting, interactive technology, and keeper engagement areas within the space create a more immersive experience for guests, transporting them to the forests of Indonesia. More natural elements were incorporated, like diffused light from the skylights inside the enclosures, providing the orangutans with a brighter, more engaging environment.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler 

OPS Pine Elementary School

alvine engineering & jackson-jackson & associates

Students attending OPS Pine Elementary School are surrounded by colorful and visually engaging environments where the ceiling is broken up and layered to invoke curiosity and wonder in the students. The lighting integrates seamlessly into the ceiling and illuminates the colorful structure above.

Photo Credit: Tom Kessler

Triage Staffing, Tenant Improvement

LEO A DALY

The newly renovated office of Triage Staffing uses lighting to reinforce company culture of collaboration. The lighting language uses bold lines, large-scale luminaires, and targeted accent illumination to coordinate with a dramatic and highly branded interior design scheme. Care was taken to ensure the space was highly functional. The linear luminaires above each row of employee workspaces are individually controllable, allowing users to tailor the light levels of their workspace to meet their individual needs.

Photo Credit: William Hess

Union Bank and Trust

Sinclair Hille & Engineering Technologies, Inc.

The overall fundamentals of design for this historic high rise were to do no harm and preserve the architecture and intent of the original design. Providing a modern touch with LED lighting and state of the art lighting controls that seamlessly blended with the historical aspects was a major challenge for the lighting team. DMX controllable RGBW lighting elements were strategically hidden and controlled automatically through the lighting control system to create an after-hours eye-catching experience. Striking elements such as this view were balanced within the large calming space.

Photo Credit: Engineering Technologies, Inc.

UNL College or Engineering

alvine engineering & rdg

Solving challenging problems is at the root of engineering. There is not always a single pathway or solution, but instead multitudes of paths that lead to a variety of successful solutions. The custom sculptural luminaire leads the eye down different routes, revealing pieces that are not visible from one single viewpoint. As one’s perspective of the luminaire changes, light peeks out from unexpected places bringing together the individual elements to a create a holistic piece.

Photo Credit: Alvine Engineering