Gretna East High School
Project of Distinction, New Construction | 2025 Education Design Showcase
DLR Group
Project Information
Facility Use: High School Institution
Project Type: New Construction
Category: Whole Building / Campus Design
Location: Nebraska
District/Inst.: Gretna Public Schools
Chief Administrator: Travis Lightle
Completion Date: 8/1/2023
Gross Area: 371,000 square feet
Area Per Student: 232 square feet
Site Size: 58.4 acres
Current Enrollment: 1,018
Capacity: 1,600
Cost per Student: $86,625
Cost per Sq. Ft.: $369.27
Total Cost: $137,000,000
Gretna East High School is all about connections—from land to sky, interior to exterior, and most critically, people to people. The integrated design team engaged the school board, administration, teachers, and students to ensure each aspect of the facility enriches learning. CTE programming is highlighted with spaces for computer programming, e-gaming, a welding shop, small engines, woods lab, and white box lab, which includes drone studies and a makerspace.
The 371,000 SF school serves 1,600 students in the Gretna community. Intentional linear movements off the central spine of the building create a connected learning environment of classrooms, breakout spaces, and outdoor learning areas. The glazing, carved into the monolithic walls of the exterior, creates both sunken and extruded reliefs that establish a bold rhythm along the façade. The building layout uses exterior views as a form of wayfinding, drawing occupants through the building and inspiring moments of reflection looking at the surrounding natural landscape.
In addition to the high school facility, the campus site includes soccer, softball, and baseball competition fields, a practice football field, and track and field facilities. A 2,000-seat, top-loading gym includes a running track around the main court and an auxiliary gym space that is also top-loaded and seats 500. The learning commons open to a large, 22,390 SF courtyard greenspace. The courtyard offers a variety of gathering spaces for students and staff, including individual, multiple classrooms, and small breakout spaces.
The Gretna School District Design Committee toured high schools in South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska to help inform programming and design. These in-person tours also played a significant role in the group's definition of guiding principles for the school. The committee worked with designers to generate concepts for the site and building. During the schematic design process, the team received feedback from four small groups of school district professionals, which included administrators, teachers, staff, and community members.
Architect(s):
DLR Group
402-393-4100