Mark Pratt of LEO A DALY featured in Hotel Business panel about 2025 trends

“Designers must continue to evolve using inspiration from fashion and product design to help the creative mind evolve from business as usual. I think pulling hyper-local arts and culture are more important now than ever. Authenticity is expected and the idea of a contrived composition no longer validates a sense of place. We strive to create something original and timeless in all we do that ultimately gives our owners a better ROI and NOI. We always think of their money like it’s our money. I also think sustainability and innovation with respect to the same is top of mind for most travelers. People want to protect Mother Earth and our value on projects and ownership that share these values.”

LEO A DALY’s Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas design featured in Sleeper magazine

“Renovations have touched every corner of the property, with new villas designed to weave together the textures, colours and materials of the Texas landscape. Design elements inspired by indigenous Texas flora and fauna include cool, crisp blues that reflect the opulence of Texas Topaz and the bountiful surrounding lakes, and porcelain tile that nods to the earthy tones of sage and cactus. Touches of leather in warm brown and amber tones evoke the nostalgia of the property’s past as a ranch, with stitching details reminiscent of saddle craftsmanship.”

Luxury interior designer Joan Sizemore to lead LEO A DALY Dallas studio hospitality practice

Internationally accomplished designer Joan Sizemore has rejoined LEO A DALY to lead the firm’s hospitality work in its Dallas studio. She will be a senior associate, hospitality market sector leader and director of design for hospitality interiors.

Larry Crane to lead LEO A DALY healthcare in Minneapolis

Crane brings more than 25 years of healthcare specialization throughout the Midwest, including more than 13 years of owning his own firm in South Dakota. Crane’s passion for design that delivers exemplary client service is part of his core values.

LEO A DALY-designed Goodwill earns American Concrete Institute award

The LEO A DALY site adapt design is Goodwill’s first ground-up, free-standing build in the Omaha metro in a decade. At 15,000-SF, the facility includes a retail sales floor, drive-through donation center, online pick up and a training room.

New Omaha Police Department West Precinct opens

The secure but welcoming facility is steeped in community policing

Omaha Police Department celebrated completion of its West Precinct Sept. 24, and the opening of a secure but welcoming facility steeped in community policing. LEO A DALY led architecture and engineering services for the 36,000 square-foot facility, which houses three police units, including emergency response, traffic investigations and patrol.

Amenities such as a community room, public workstations and Wi-Fi invite press members and neighborhood organizations to share space and engage with police, fostering transparency and partnership. Warm and inviting interior finishes adorn the precinct’s public spaces, which are smartly aligned with entrances to provide staff with clear lines of site. Community members will enjoy comfortable surroundings, straightforward access to police services, and streamlined connectivity to file reports and search for information.

Construction costs for the facility came in under the $10 million budget at about $8.2 million, and on-schedule, following a sophisticated design-refinement process. The design team worked closely with Omaha police leadership, the city’s public works department and the mayor’s office to precisely program OPD’s newest and westernmost precinct. During this process, designers evaluated dimensions, function, proximities, visibility and access.

As programming and design progressed, the project team priced materials and labor at key stages. The precinct’s resulting, highly functional interior features flexible spaces capable of being repurposed as needed. For example, conference rooms and command offices share the same dimensions to accommodate changing needs and staff growth over time, and the community room can host press conferences as well as boy scout or neighborhood watch meetings. Multipurpose rooms are equipped for many types of training, which is frequent and ongoing for all public-safety employees.

“It was a pleasure working with the architects at LEO A DALY,” said Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer. “They came up with a state-of-the-art facility, tailor made to suit Omaha Police needs. The new West Precinct rounds out what is now uniform police coverage for the City of Omaha.”

To address “targeting” concerns common to police nationwide, visibility of interior work areas is eliminated while high windows still allow occupants to benefit from workplace daylighting. Outside, a concrete “seating wall” forms a perimeter around a public plaza adjacent to the precinct’s front entrance, simultaneously providing protection and buffer space while encouraging conversations.

Behind the scenes, functional details unseen to most include wide corridors that prevent individuals from blockading hallways, and hidden “distress” signals placed throughout the facility. Work areas use durable, industrial finishes to stand up to the rigors of police work in all seasons.

“We have an outstanding partnership with the Omaha Police Department,” said Cindy McCleary, vice president of LEO A DALY. “Together, we created a building that provides transparency and a community connection, while also giving the department a safe and operationally efficient place to do the work of protecting the city.”