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Carson National Headquarters Integrated engineering that performs

Whole project performance delivers visionary architecture, a world-class occupant experience and highly refined engineering.

Carson's high-performance design story starts with two architectural concepts.

These designs competed against 12 concepts from six other firms.

The winning concept would ultimately become a 'beacon for talent,' for a savvy, fast-growing financial company.

Before setting pencils to paper, we researched and inquired to understand Carson's operations and culture.

Carson is the brand behind Carson Wealth, Carson Group and Carson Partners.

  • 1,400 member firms
  • 110 partner offices
  • $18 billion in assets

Our first design concept, "Ascend," expressed growth.

Our second design concept, "Move," expressed change.

'Ascend' was so far above everyone else. It's clean. It's futuristic, and it's warm at the same time.

- Carson founder and CEO Ron Carson

Ascend was selected and design commenced in early 2019.

“One of the biggest opportunities we have is attracting people to Omaha, Nebraska.”

“Our mission at Carson is to be the most trusted for financial advice, and our new office campus will play an integral role to leading that charge and attracting global talent.

- CEO and founder Ron Carson.

The buildings' innovative shell bathes the interior in healthy daylight, including its premium productivity, social, entertainment and fitness spaces.

Yet occupants experience very little glare or heat gain.

We designed the amenity-rich 200,000 SF campus with an envelope made of electrochromic glass.

With no need for window coverings, dramatic vistas are available in every season.

Natural daylight renders truer colors, skin tones and textures, and it enhances our circadian rhythms.

The envelope controls heat gain and glare, in real time, for greater comfort that uses less energy.

The electrochromic envelope conserves energy in multiple ways, including:

15 percent less energy for HVAC

Up to 74 percent less energy for electric lighting

During design, we modeled the comfort impacts of daylighting and glare. We compared standard glass types against values for electrochromic.

Glare - Standard
Glare - Electrochromic

A post-occupancy evaluation confirmed performance using illuminance meters, spectrometers and other measurement devices.

Meanwhile, we asked Carson staff to tell us about their experiences inside.

And this is what they told us...

All building systems were designed in concert with the responsive, precision tinting of the glass envelope.

Which adapts from moment to moment, even as the sun's trajectory changes throughout each day and year.

Our design invites the right amount of healthy wavelengths of natural light...
while controlling solar heat gain and glare,
enhancing visual experiences with electric lighting and automated controls,
and consuming less energy.

We sited the campus deliberately to harness the best and mitigate the worst of the sun's power.

Integrated design allowed us to specify a smaller HVAC system at substantial equipment savings.

Red areas show the strongest solar gain with a standard, code-compliant glass envelope.

Shielded by the electrochromic envelope, interior spaces absorb less heat.

With a standard glass envelope, combatting solar gain would require window coverings and more energy-intensive HVAC systems.

Standard Glass Envelope
Carson National Headquarters

Using less energy to cool the building, it produces 15 percent lower emissions.

And on the hottest summer days, it's 19 percent more efficient.

Through a crystalline skin, the realized "Ascend" architectural concept today conveys Carson's core value of transparency.

Meanwhile, integrated engineering optimizes the "Ascend" experience for occupants...

and achieves a more sustainable energy profile for years to come.

"Ascend' is continue to move forward, continue to move up, and I'd say that is totally the culture at Carson."

- Founder and CEO Ron Carson

Learn more at https://leoadaly.com/services/high-performance-design/

Created By
Philip Stake
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