Striving for the Fortune 500 with Dynamic Design

With aspirations to crack the Fortune 500 list, Green Plains, Inc., one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers, began searching for a new headquarters in the Omaha, NE area. A movement toward the use of environmentally friendly products and renewable resources has allowed the vertically integrated ethanol producer to experience rapid growth. Green Plains selected a new 53,000 square-foot site to house their trading floor, offices, conference rooms and training center.

The core and shell of the building were already under construction prior to the design of the interiors. High ceilings and structural locations were determined, posing some challenges. Morrissey Engineering overcame these difficulties and created an environment that promotes collaboration and energizes its occupants, while emphasizing the exposed structure. With a design goal to maximize the open ceiling, Nera linear pendants were selected. The luminaire’s modern aesthetic and its use of Power-Up technology, which delivers power through the aircraft cables, reduces visual clutter to blend harmoniously into the space. Its unobtrusive design and center void maximize sight lines onto the architecture.

Visual comfort was also top-of-mind when designing for the varying tasks that take place in the multi-use space. To address this goal, Seem 4 recessed linear luminaires were installed into the grid ceilings in the conference rooms and private offices, to provide direct illumination on the work plane. The minimalistic aesthetic of Seem 4 supports the sleek modern furniture, for a clean yet comfortable feel.

The innovative design of the Green Plains, Inc. headquarters was awarded the People’s Choice Award at the 2017 AIA Nebraska Excellence in Design event.