Against the Current Careers Academy
Macy, Neb.
Better K-12 education
Presented by: Boyd Jones
Region: ENR Midwest
Owner: Umonhon Nation Public Schools
General contractor: Boyd Jones
Main design company: BVH Architecture
Civil engineer: Olsson Associates
Structural engineer: Lange Structural Group
MEP Engineer: Morrissey Engineering
The name of the certificate-granting academy refers to the Omaha tribe, known as “those who go against the grain,” many of whom live on the reservation where the school is located. It was designed to address specific needs, both of the students and of the tribe at large. “It’s absolutely a community revitalization project,” says Cleve Reeves, principal of BVH Architecture, the lead design firm.
The 39,000 square meter school’s six majors (automotive, construction, culinary arts, nursing, entrepreneurship and early childhood education) correspond to laboratory spaces where students gain hands-on experience. The automotive lab features hydraulic lifts, overhead doors and an exhaust containment system. The Culinary Arts Lab is a commercial-grade design kitchen with cooktops, ovens, sinks and prep space and its own exhaust system. The nursing laboratory clinic has a patient bed unit and professional level finishes.
Photo credit: Tom Kessler
The tracks were chosen intentionally. As students train, community residents receive services such as medical and auto repairs, previously at least a 45-60 minute drive away. The school cafeteria, open to the whole community, is the first canteen on the reserve. It connects to the commercial kitchen.
A similar consideration informs design choices elsewhere, including using colors that are culturally significant to the tribe, but without “trying to be cliche by putting Native American symbols on the wall,” Reeves says. The connection with nature, “so that the facility always seems connected to the world around it” and the sincere use of materials are also important, with, for example, the concrete used for the superstructure frame not disguised .
A canopy covered with transparent polycarbonate sheets and daylight help the structure’s energy performance
Photo credit: Tom Kessler
General contractor Boyd Jones’ pre-construction efforts resulted in $1.5 million in savings, allowing for the addition of radiant heated floors in the shop section.
