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Boys Town Education Center
Boys Town Education Center
Omaha, NE, United States
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Other Projects by DLR Group
Boys Town Education Center
Omaha, NE, United States
Firm
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2023
SIZE
100,000 sqft - 300,000 sqft
The design of the new Boys Town Education Center is grounded in a trauma-informed philosophy that echoes, in spirit if not in name, the beliefs of the school’s founder, Father Flanagan—given the chance to heal, a child can thrive. For students arriving with trauma, the building itself must play an active role in that healing.
The students’ request to balance privacy and psychological safety was central to the design. Many described feeling exposed when tour groups passed by the front of the old school, which faced the main drive through the Village of Boys Town. In response, a freestanding wall buffers the building’s public-facing entrance while offering a moment of delight: a mural honoring the building’s history and Father Flanagan’s legacy. Throughout the front facade, thoughtfully placed windows provide natural light without making students feel on display. In contrast, the back of the building, which faces away from the public, opens to expansive views, inviting a sense of calm and connection with the landscape.
Inside, the spatial layout continues to balance openness and retreat. Clear lines of sight help reduce anxiety and foster a sense of control, while designers oriented small group rooms to maintain privacy from hallways without isolating students or teachers. Throughout, design elements encourage both academic focus and emotional self-regulation. Bays project from public-facing walls, allowing students to participate in class while retreating slightly from the group. Small group rooms are distributed across the school for acoustic separation and one-on-one support. These spaces also double as de-escalation rooms, equipped with blackout blinds for moments when privacy is paramount. Even teachers have dedicated respite rooms, acknowledging the emotional demands of the work. These vary in ambiance: one is fully dark for sensory rest, while others offer restorative views or comfort amenities like massage chairs.
Materially, the design reflects the building’s place on the National Register of Historic Places through thoughtful nods to its architectural past. Over 700 pieces of precast concrete, including 56,000 square feet of insulated wall panels, are clad in a blend of thin brick and green granite, harmonizing with neighboring structures. Along the main campus drive, thirteen mosaic brick panels feature custom patterns rotated for visual variation, forming a continuity that honors tradition while still feeling fresh.
The architecture of Boys Town is a form of advocacy, allowing students to step out of survival mode and into possibility. By protecting without isolating and revealing without exposing, the design gives students a place where they can heal.
The students’ request to balance privacy and psychological safety was central to the design. Many described feeling exposed when tour groups passed by the front of the old school, which faced the main drive through the Village of Boys Town. In response, a freestanding wall buffers the building’s public-facing entrance while offering a moment of delight: a mural honoring the building’s history and Father Flanagan’s legacy. Throughout the front facade, thoughtfully placed windows provide natural light without making students feel on display. In contrast, the back of the building, which faces away from the public, opens to expansive views, inviting a sense of calm and connection with the landscape.
Inside, the spatial layout continues to balance openness and retreat. Clear lines of sight help reduce anxiety and foster a sense of control, while designers oriented small group rooms to maintain privacy from hallways without isolating students or teachers. Throughout, design elements encourage both academic focus and emotional self-regulation. Bays project from public-facing walls, allowing students to participate in class while retreating slightly from the group. Small group rooms are distributed across the school for acoustic separation and one-on-one support. These spaces also double as de-escalation rooms, equipped with blackout blinds for moments when privacy is paramount. Even teachers have dedicated respite rooms, acknowledging the emotional demands of the work. These vary in ambiance: one is fully dark for sensory rest, while others offer restorative views or comfort amenities like massage chairs.
Materially, the design reflects the building’s place on the National Register of Historic Places through thoughtful nods to its architectural past. Over 700 pieces of precast concrete, including 56,000 square feet of insulated wall panels, are clad in a blend of thin brick and green granite, harmonizing with neighboring structures. Along the main campus drive, thirteen mosaic brick panels feature custom patterns rotated for visual variation, forming a continuity that honors tradition while still feeling fresh.
The architecture of Boys Town is a form of advocacy, allowing students to step out of survival mode and into possibility. By protecting without isolating and revealing without exposing, the design gives students a place where they can heal.
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