RDG Omaha
Corporate
Office
Following a period of rapid growth, RDG Planning & Design sought to relocate our downtown office in Omaha, Nebraska. Wanting to remain a part of the city's urban core, we sought a location that was in or near the historic Old Market, or within the surrounding primary business and entertainment district. We selected a stand-alone two-story facility on the edge of the Old Market and within the downtown business district.
The building met our primary objectives: it offers high visibility and community connectedness, incorporates natural light and openness, and offers expanded amenities and easy access to things like public transportation, pedestrian walkways and local entertainment districts. Our adaptive reuse design for the building showcases RDG's creativity and our ability to be judicial and budget conscious. The structure's primary entry was flipped to the south, creating a new, transparent view and opening the solid brick façade to the adjacent, dedicated parking plaza. A powerful first impression of the company's mission and culture is represented by a vibrant red wall embellished with the company mission, Create. Meaning. Together. Visible from the parking plaza, the wall welcomes visitors from the entry into the space. Another layer is revealed as visitors get closer to the wall, with the signature of every employee clustered around the mission. The signatures, each personally hand-crafted, reflect the inclusiveness of the firm and stress our ethos: each individual as a creative, unique and valuable part of the whole. RDG's open office seating is programmed into neighborhoods for easy access to teams and support staff, and to facilitate camaraderie. Neighborhoods are separated by the intentional placement of impromptu, open meeting and pin-up spaces. Primary conference rooms are located near the building's entry to ensure ease of access for visitors. The building is designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle by intentionally placing the kitchenette, roof deck and large, flexible meeting space on the second level, allowing users to take full advantage of a central staircase, which serves as the interior's focal point. Building on an existing framework, design for the central staircase creates a rhythmic, minimalist cadence. As users ascend or descend, the staircase folds, frames and evolves by transforming alongside the user's path. The wood slats are crafted from reclaimed red oak that was salvaged from the building's door jams and window frames during the renovation. Reuse of the concrete staircase foundation recalls the original framework in a contemporary and minimalist approach; this raw concrete contrasted with the precise wood elements offers diversity in material language. The result is a literal and figurative expression of elevated design that grounds the space and is a unique place for spontaneous collaboration.