Applied Underwriters

Project Spotlight

Omaha

The Applied Underwriters headquarters project exemplifies the collaborative mindset JE Dunn aims for in all our endeavors. The building’s design wraps around the center of the local Omaha community and Applied Underwriters’ daily activities. As employee-owners, we can all applaud our fellow employees who contributed to this project for representing the company in a way that has opened a long-lasting business friendship.

Professionalism and persistence have been the two major themes of this project. Applied Underwriters manages their own projects around the country; however, some negative experiences with past contractors made them guarded up front, presenting a challenge that was up to the JE Dunn team to solve. Once they did, it created a fun and collaborative workspace based on the trust established and JE Dunn’s commitment to the best client experience.

The relationship with Applied Underwriters was able to withstand the trials and tribulations of COVID-19, which was a big contributor to the gain of trust and advocacy towards JE Dunn. During the shutdowns, the team was determined to maintain this new friendship with the company. They kept open lines of communication, provided suggestions on which scopes needed to continue in the background to avoid significant claims, continued to occupy the site, and slowed work in place to $3 million per month in critical and self-perform scopes. To top it off, the team also saved Applied Underwriters $40 million in inflation costs once the project restarted.

The Applied Underwriters project is a prime example of JE Dunn’s ongoing goal to bring together progress, community, and exceptional experiences. In building the headquarters, as well as a strong connective friendship, the hope is to further develop on the rest of the 500 acres owned by Applied Underwriters, per their own recommendations. We are currently have several projects in the development, such as the Carson/Goldenrod buildings 1, 2, and 3 and the Gunderson’s Jewelers project.

Congratulations to the team on all they have done for this project!

It's All in the Details...

On the outside, the 90-acre exterior of the building reflects that of the natural Nebraska landscape. It includes a three-acre lake, 100-foot-wide fountain, and vehicle bridge.

The interior is designed to implement a bright and open floor plan. This can be accredited to the 10 by 20-foot jumbo glass panels in the three-story atrium, which was imported from Germany just for this project. These windows stand floor to floor, complete with 100 percent electrochromic glass in all the office wings.

Additionally, the inside includes floor trusses spanning 110 feet that extend through the curtain wall and connect to exterior columns to eliminate interior columns, pulling that established open concept further through.

Underneath the Applied Underwriters headquarters lies an extensive 1,000-car, two-story underground parking garage equipped with an underground dock to hide back-of-house activities, such as deliveries.