First National

Tower
Transformation

Client
FNBO
Location
Omaha, NE
Completion date
November 2023

FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) partnered with RDG Planning & Design to reposition and reimagine its real estate assets for the workplace of the future. This deliberate and integrated transformation of their workplace and technology enables FNBO to evolve to work differently and to meet the ever-changing demands of the workplace in the future.

With 22 floors and 500,000 SF, RDG's facility design strategy for the First National Tower Transformation supports how employees work and hinges on an intentional design approach. A carefully curated set of standards that include a system of benchmarks, space planning ratios, math + modeling, and focused programming sessions allows each floor to be programmed and designed in an expedited fashion. Inherent in this approach is the flexibility to adjust layouts, and to move employees quickly and easily to adapt to the ever-evolving work demands is key to efficiency and operational excellence.

Initiated in April 2021, the project focuses on multiple floors within the existing building to allow for greater collaboration, agility and flexibility. RDG's design eliminates private offices, increases collaborative spaces and adds specific spaces that align with different work modalities. To accommodate this shift away from the traditional model, our design had to incorporate a decrease in overall density: the previous floor plan designs allowed for 80% individual space and 20% shared spaces; in the new model, 45% of the floor plan is dedicated to individual space, while 55% is dedicated to shared spaces. In addition to the increase in shared spaces, FNBO's office now includes an abundance of natural light, open lines of sight, a focus on wellness, and an increase in collaborative meeting spaces and cafes and community spaces designed to emphasize hospitality.     

Green hues used throughout the space reflect FNBO's corporate branding color, and an overall earthen palette connects the interiors to the surrounding natural Nebraska landscape, a cohesive design that spans throughout the renovation project. The result is a truly transformed workplace - a place where people want to be and one that can compete within the growing and vast ecosystem of places to work. 

Photos by AJ Brown Imaging.
Hospitality influences draw employees to congregate and connect, elevating the typical break room setting.
Flexible furniture settings allow for a variety of work modes in a open office setting.
Flexible furniture settings allow for a variety of work modes in a open office setting.
Awards
Engineering Excellence Awards-Building Technology Systems
ACEC Nebraska
2024
Outstanding Achievement in Design Professional Project Award
Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)
2024