BVH Architecture is a purpose-driven design practice committed to an immersive and collaborative creative process. We seek to create architecture which enhances and inspires the community in which it serves.
BVH Architecture has engaged in the design and preservation of our built environment through the practices of architectural design, interior architecture, and planning since 1968. Our three studio locations in Denver, Lincoln, and Omaha are home to multidisciplinary design staff bent on making the world better by designing exceptional places to live, work, learn, and play.
A visit to one of our design studios illustrates the creative and collaborative culture we embrace. We utilize an open and energetic environment which allows a unique approach to projects with the collective knowledge of everyone in the studio, and we encourage our clients and the community to engage with us in our design pursuits.
At the core of our design practice lies the desire to do more with built environments than meet minimum requirements. Our vision as designers is to transform lives by creating places that contribute to the vitality of communities.
Student Life & Housing
Willa S. Cather
Dining Complex
WHAT IT IS—
Replacing an outdated and underutilized building, UNL’s new dining complex includes a dining hall, large event center, and staff offices over three floors and organized around a central, outdoor plaza.
A central stair serves as the primary vertical circulation for students and connects the student services areas on the first floor of the building with the dining hall on second floor.
1. C-STORE PREP 2. C-STORE 3. CORRIDOR
STAIR
DINING
CORRIDOR
Serving areas in the dining hall are located toward the interior of the floor plate while dining areas are pushed to the perimeter in order to provide students with views of the surrounding campus.
The outdoor plaza can also double as prefunction space for the event center.
1. RECEIVING DOCK AREA
2. STAIRWELL
3. RESTROOM
4. UTILITY CORRIDOR
5. COOLER
6. DRY STORAGE
7. TELECOM
8. AV
The building also houses restrooms and serves as the backdrop for activities that take place at the Vine Street Fields— further stitching the building into its surrounding campus context.
WHAT IT IS—
Student housing that seamlessly integrates within the Nebraska landscape, drawing inspiration from local and agricultural architectural styles.
Situated between campus and the Pine Ridge, Eagle Ridge provides a vital connection between campus and the nearby Rangeland Facility.
DEPRESS PLINTH INTO TOPOGRAPHY / COVER WITH SHROUD
ROOTED IN CONTEXT—
Each building features continuous rooflines and is surrounded with indigenous landscaping.
Natural daylight floods each living space yet is controlled throughout the seasons by generous overhangs and recessed windows.
SIGHT LINES—
Students are welcomed into interior public spaces with distant views of the Pine Ridge, the expansive sky and the adjacent campus mall.
The treatment of student housing as a neighborhood cultivates a sense of safety and connection— enhancing both the aesthetic beauty of the landscape and fosters strong bonds between students and the community.
Massengale Residential Complex
WHAT IT IS—
University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE
147,000 sf
Designed for improved connectivity, UNL East Campus’ newest residence hall features a dynamic lobby, a large central courtyard, and ample social spaces to foster a sense of community.
You Are Here
The Massengale Residential Complex
Flat Water Art Installation
Overlooking the lobby of University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s newest residential complex stands a 1:1,320 scale aerial view of the Platte River as it winds through central Nebraska. Routed into white oak veneer and standing 16’ x 16’ through two open stories of study and welcome space, the geometric artwork represents a sixteen square-mile stretch of farmland, river, and road. Drawing inspiration from the campus’ agricultural science and land management programs, as well as their values of ecological stewardship, BVH designed and fabricated an art installation which aims to bridge the gap that students themselves straddle— leveraging digital resources to study, understand, and ultimately harness the natural resources of the land.
Translating satellite data into simplified geometric forms, irrigation lines and roads are routed into the wood at varying depths and thicknesses to signify the temporary mark man makes on the land. Conversely, the permanent cut void of the Platte River signifies the land’s power to leave its own mark on us. This dichotomy of digital and analog, man and land, is further explored in a cleverly employed audio component. Utilizing audio captured from the Platte Basin Time Lapse project—a UNL-funded research project which studies the rise and fall of the Platte River and its surrounding ecosystems— speakers embedded behind the wood panels relay in real time a white noise of wind, birds, and farmland from the actual site being viewed.
Flat Water is a unique combination of data, fabrication, and art to provide students with an important link back to their roots, and reminder of where their education will take them.
St. John Paul II Newman Center
WHAT IT IS—
A joint venture between the Omaha Archdiocese and UNO, the Newman Center is both a residence hall and worship center for students. Simple and clearly defined, it is a spiritual home in the educational world.
Connected yet secluded, the site’s open and multi-functional composition physically mirrors that of a traditional abbey, with residential and worship spaces arranged around a central cloister.
AWARDS
2019 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase | Outstanding Design, Chapels/ Worship Centers
2019 IIDA Interior Design Excellence Award
2018 AIA National Faith & Form Religious Art & Architecture Design Award
2018 AIA Nebraska Masonry Honor Award
2018 ACEC Merit Award, Energy Efficiency
2018 IES Illumination Design Award
2018 Natural Stone Institute Tucker Design Award
Student lounges, dedicated study rooms, and a library/commons area support day-to-day student activities and academic learning.
41 apartments housing 164 students overlook the rectory and broad green space below, and open out to rooftop terraces along the second floor.
J.M. Pile Hall
WHAT IT IS—
Constructed in 1932, this historic residence hall was in need of reviving. Renovations provide a fresh balance of suite-style rooms, private restrooms and living areas, along with improved recreation and community spaces.
LOCATION
Wayne State College
Wayne, NE SIZE
40,000 sf
Welcoming students is an open reception area overlooking a spacious, sunlit lounge— replacing the formerly tight and obstructed space.
A recreation room, located in the once dungeon-like basement, provides ample lounge, gaming, and community space— furnished with flat-screen televisions, modular furniture, and a full kitchen.
Reviving Pile Hall not only served to enhance the quality of life for students on campus, but resulted in a modern yet respectful response to the character and charm of the historic building.
WHAT IT IS—
Increased demand for on-campus housing, a desire to develop a student community, and deficient food service facilities were the motivating factors behind this new suite-style housing and student life/dining facility.
Located at the western edge of the NECC campus mall, the facility serves as a terminus for the campus green space.
The dining center is designed to be flexible for concerts, student gatherings, lectures, conferences, and other large campus gatherings.
Able to accommodate 525 people, Hawk’s Dining is equipped with dining and student life amenities, a computer lab, exercise rooms, and conference facilities.
University & Eastside Suites
LOCATION
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE
WHAT IT IS—
Providing housing for more than 1,500 students, University & Eastside Suites act as a gateway to the southeastern corner of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
STUDENT-CENTERED DESIGN—
The buildings features a central glass connector with a reception lobby, stacked student lounges, and courtyards that encourage interaction between incoming students.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION—
University Suites serves as the central hub for student interaction with premium lounge and pavilion space.
Woodhaven Hall
WHAT IT IS—
The first residence hall on the SCC Lincoln Campus. Housing 200+ students, this facility is designed to be a catalyst for creating a sense of place on the quickly expanding campus.
Taking advantage of existing tree lines, the building is sited to provide expansive views into the surrounding natural habitat on campus.
SPACE DIVERSITY—
A variety of diverse study and collaboration spaces are provided, while social spaces connect the wings of each floor where students can intentionally gather.
Christy Suites
WHAT IT IS—
Replacing an existing 1960’s hall on campus, this three-story structure provides much-needed amenities for women on campus as well as fosters and encourages a sense of community throughout the building.
2ND FLOOR
1ST FLOOR
Key student amenities were identified and placed throughout. Study rooms of multiple sizes allow students the opportunity to find the space that best suits their needs at that time.
