Nebraska Medicine: Farnam Clinic
Nebraska Medicine: Shikhar & Kristin Saxena Health Center
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Omaha, Nebraska
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Nebraska Medicine
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98,400 square feet
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The four-story center brings together dermatology, endoscopy, general internal medicine, behavioral health, and educational functions.
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Architecture
Engineering
Interior Design
The Shikhar & Kristin Saxena Health Center is a transformative outpatient destination that expands access to specialized care while creating a new gateway to Nebraska Medicine's Midtown Omaha campus. Originally known as the Farnam Health Center during design and construction, the nearly 100,000 SF facility brings together dermatology, endoscopy, general internal medicine, behavioral health, and educational functions within a highly connected environment designed to support the future of outpatient care.
Situated on a steeply sloping site, the building transforms a complex urban condition into an opportunity for innovation, connectivity, and identity. A dramatic three-story glass volume anchors the facility's northwest corner, creating a welcoming presence along one of Omaha's most prominent corridors while filling the interior with natural daylight.
The centerpiece of the design is Inside and Out, Dale Chihuly's monumental blown-glass sculpture relocated from the Joslyn Art Museum. Rising 30 feet tall and spanning 25 feet wide, the installation serves as a visual landmark at the northern edge of campus while inspiring the building's architectural and interior expression. Themes of light, transparency, movement, and organic form influenced every aspect of the design, from custom interior elements and terrazzo flooring to layered lighting and sculptural exterior shading systems, creating a cohesive environment where art and architecture support healing, comfort, and connection.
Accessibility and connectivity were central to the design. A pedestrian bridge links the health center to an adjacent parking structure, while a new circulation tower strengthens connections to the broader campus and surrounding innovation district. The building's combination of precast concrete, expansive glazing, and sculptural sun-shading elements creates a healthcare environment that is both highly functional and visually memorable.
More than a healthcare facility, the Shikhar & Kristin Saxena Health Center is a destination where medicine, culture, and community intersect. By integrating world-class outpatient care with one of Omaha's most celebrated works of art, the project reflects Nebraska Medicine's commitment to innovation, wellness, and the healing power of human-centered design.
