Heartwood

Applied Underwriters Inc.

David Meyer, Lead Landscape Architect
Grace Amundson, Partner

Currently taking shape in Omaha, Nebraska, Heartwood is a 500-acre mixed use development that sets a new standard for sustainable design.
The project is a dynamic public experience that will include a corporate campus, regional park, connective greenways, residential neighborhoods, a commercial corridor, and an underpinning of small parks.
The site lies within a watershed ravaged by storms — a weather pattern that has recently cost the Omaha community a billion dollars in damages. Rather than relegating nondescript retention ponds to the sidelines, Heartwood’s design features 14 limestone-clad basins that distinguish 100 acres of privately-owned, publicly accessible greenways.
While the earth has been meticulously shaped to capture and manage 170 acre-feet of water, the aesthetic intention is to bring natural phenomena forward and foster appreciation of our changing planet. Each water-capturing vessel is mindfully crafted to reflect its context.

Introduction
Amid a landscape reshaped by climate extremes and suburban sprawl, Heartwood is emerging as a synthesis of resilient infrastructure, ecological restoration, and cultural homage. Heartwood transforms a once vulnerable site into a dynamic development centered on fostering a deeper appreciation for the ebb and force of nature.

A Unique Response To Flooding
Heartwood envisions a climate change infrastructure conceived from the start as art. The backbone of the hyper-efficient hydraulic infrastructure is a series of 14 stylized vessels that reflect their setting and punctuate 100 acres of connected greenways. As water shifts and seasons change, the detention basins will bear the scars of time — weathered stone, shifting waterlines, and subtle siltation will capture the effects of each storm.

The Design Ethos
To make the invisible visible and help visitors experience the dramatic interplay between human ingenuity and nature’s relentless forces requires a consistent visual language across the massive site.
The vessels, which vary greatly in shape and context, are all constructed of earth and dry-stacked native limestone giving Heartwood a distinctive character. Locally quarried stone provides a powerful, and timeless visual thread. These vessels hold a total of 170 acre-feet of water, so each one is a sizable footprint on the land. Catch basins in each vessel are camouflaged by limestone cairns. These conical landmarks contribute to Heartwood’s distinct visual language.

Nurturing The Environment
While flood control is central to the sustainability solution, the strategy includes restoration of eastern Nebraska’s native ecosystems. The vessels, and the clearings around them, replenish aquifers while expanding native wetlands and woodlands. Restored native prairie grasses will provide habitat, restore topsoil, and mitigate erosion. With a commitment to plant over 10,000 trees, nurseries have been established throughout the greenways. Trees that had to be cut down for construction to make way for the vessels will be “re-planted” and serve as totems and habitat for mammals and birds.

Fostering Community
In 2017, our client purchased the land and began collaborating with a deep cross-section of Omaha stakeholders to create an eco-centric development that recognizes the agrarian history of the site and benefits employees, residents, and neighbors of Omaha. Connectivity is paramount. Over 14 miles of accessible trails weave through the development, linking Heartwood to Omaha’s “Paths of Discovery” network, the West Papio Trail, and the 144th Street Trail. These trails are vital public spaces that invite residents — from families and cyclists to runners and nature enthusiasts — to immerse themselves in an almost-lost native landscape. To further serve the community, Heartwood offers a variety of features including a 20-acre central park that has a large amphitheater, athletic fields, community gardens and a greenhouse. Within the greenways, designated areas for fire pits, shelters, picnic spots, playgrounds, and council rings ensure that the space supports both vibrant gatherings and quiet reflection.

Honoring The Past
Once a part of Overlook Farm and the cherished non-profit, Boys Town, the site’s past is honored through the reuse of iconic structures. The original dairy barn from Boys Town will be restored and relocated to the central park that overlooks Boys Town Village. A repurposed silo now serves as a gateway to Heartwood. Stylized orchards honor the agrarian history of the site and acknowledge Arbor Day, which originated in Nebraska in 1872.

An Enduring Experience
Heartwood integrates stormwater management, ecological restoration, and local culture into a cohesive framework. It transforms a flood-prone site into a vibrant, multi-functional asset. Heartwood stands as a demonstration of how public spaces can be both a protective shield and a canvas that documents the rhythms of our ever-changing environment. As the project continues to evolve, it will challenge the conventional separation between functional infrastructure and public art. In this way, Heartwood has reimagined climate change infrastructure and furthered the idea of what a public park can and should be. Phase one was completed in 2020, with current and future phases projected to be completed by 2027.