Omaha Art-Inspired House

"The most challenging aspect of the project was the client’s directive to 'design an art gallery we can live in,'" says architect Jeff Dolezal of local firm Tack Architects. Though the house is quite large—over 10,000 square feet—it was constructed with green design principals in mind. It features low-VOC paints and interior finishes, locally sourced materials, blown in soy-based spray foam exterior insulation, skylights and solatubes for natural daylighting, and FSC certified lumber, and LED light fixtures. The exterior is clad in zinc and cedar.

The residence is built on the same lot as the William Theisen mansion, a sprawling 20,125-square-foot house that was the largest in Omaha when it was completed in 1983. A family currently resides in the seven-bedroom, five-bathroom house, which features a swimming pool located on the western side of the house.

Tack Architects designed the house to frame views of the surrounding landscape. The trellis offers shading and controls the amount of daylight that shines inside (and creates a dramatic passage along the house's perimeter).

The outdoor shower situated off of the master bedroom is enclosed to offer privacy and features a courtyard garden. Michael Arp of Lanoha Nurseries designed the house's landscaping.

The house features 16-foot-high ceilings and is heated and cooled primarily from geothermal ground loops, with radiant lines inside the concrete floors. A central "cube" designed and fabricated by the architects offers pantry storage and delineates the kitchen, living, and bar areas. The glossy sheen comes courtesy of white automotive paint.

A gallery occupies the lower level. "The house really ended up becoming a vessel through which the art is experienced," says Dolezal. To learn more about how architects design around art collections, view our story on the Housemuseum in Melbourne, Australia.