Control flooding, but make it art. Nebraska's flood control system is meant to be seen.

"Heartwood Preserve doesn't look like typical stormwater infrastructure. Instead of a primarily utilitarian design, this project in Omaha doubles as public art. Meyer Studio Land Architects created a series of 14 sculptural water retention basins across 500 acres of land that sit in a watershed at risk of flooding. The project is meant to be enjoyed by the public and even has features that educate about climate change."

"Instead of a primarily utilitarian design, this project in Omaha doubles as public art. Meyer Studio Land Architects created a series of 14 sculptural water retention basins across 500 acres of land that sit in a watershed at risk of flooding. The project is meant to be enjoyed by the public and even has features that educate about climate change. Heartwood Preserve is a winner of Fast Company's 2025 Innovation by Design Awards."

Heartwood Preserve transforms conventional stormwater infrastructure into sculptural landscape interventions across 500 acres in Omaha. Fourteen water retention basins manage runoff within a watershed that faces flood risk while serving aesthetic and recreational functions. The basins are designed to be publicly accessible and include elements that educate visitors about climate change. Meyer Studio Land Architects led the design to balance functional flood mitigation, large-scale landscape engineering, and artistic expression. The project received recognition as a winner of Fast Company's 2025 Innovation by Design Awards.

Read at Fast Company