Omaha, Nebraska, USA
The Heartwood Greenway System, designed by Meyer Studio Land Architects, is a groundbreaking landscape project in Omaha, Nebraska, that seamlessly integrates flood control, ecological restoration, and public recreation.
The system was developed in response to the devastating 2019 floods, incorporating 11 sculptural water detention basins that manage stormwater while enhancing the natural beauty of the area.
With over 14 miles of accessible trails, native prairie restoration, and innovative flood mitigation strategies, the project serves as both an environmental safeguard and a dynamic public space, earning multiple awards for its forward-thinking design.
Based on scale, technological requirements, commitment to design, and corporate social impact, Heartwood Preserve in Omaha, Nebraska sets a very high bar.
Comprising over 500 acres, the development is a multi-faceted community that includes corporate headquarters for Applied Underwriters, residential neighbourhoods, a commercial corridor, a gracious underpinning of public parks and greenways, and community event spaces.
A significant challenge facing developers of this project was the disastrous flooding which has taken more than a billion-dollar toll on the region.
The project has been awarded a 2024 American Architecture Awards by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
From inception, with the support of Applied Underwriters, MSLA was determined to go beyond managing stormwater.
The architects saw this as an opportunity to forge a more meaningful connection between people and the dynamism of their ecological surroundings.
Prioritizing both aesthetics and function, they conceived a sinuous progression of water management vessels that will mark time and keep the wonder of nature front and center, while also capturing 170-acre feet of stormwater run-off.
Whether full of water, dry, marshy, or frozen solid, the limestone-clad vessels and their surroundings provide a range of experiences.
While flood mitigation via these earthen vessels is central to the sustainability solution, the strategy includes replenishing aquifers, re establishing native woodlands and wetlands, and restoring precious topsoil by reintroducing native prairie grasses.
This holistic approach to safeguarding biodiversity is complemented by the fact that people can easily access the park and participate with it.
Over fourteen miles of universally accessible trails extend throughout the project’s 500 acres and connect with Omaha’s “Paths of Discovery” network.
These thoroughfares bring greater continuity to Omaha’s multi-modal trail network and give all residents the life-affirming opportunity to experience wild lands and their inhabitants.
To recognize the region’s past as an agricultural stronghold, Heartwood includes orchards and community gardens.
With council rings, sledding hills, playgrounds, picnic and bonfire clearings, Heartwood is studded with amenities.
While Heartwood will delight the public for decades, the foundation for a vibrant, inclusive place that contributes significantly to civic pride and well-being is already evident.
Project: Heartwood Greenway System
Land Architects: Meyer Studio Land Architects
Design Team: Grace Amundson , Nicole Kelly, Jia Wilson, Erik Jensen, Sophie Nikolaidou and David Meyer
General Contractor: Meco-Henne Contracting Inc.
Client: Applied Underwriters Insurance
Photographers: David Meyer and Erik Jensen
