New Nebraska Laboratory the 'Taj Mahal' of Lincoln

In 2018, the more than 40 staff members at Dental Designs Inc.’s Lincoln, NE, headquarters, were “elbow-to-elbow, and equipment was randomly placed—our Stratasys printer was in a supply closet!” says Joe Barrett, who co-owns the lab with Ben and Ryan Sweeney and their father Tim. The lab had been housed in the same building since Tim Sweeney founded it in 1980 with Joe’s father and uncle, Doug and Tom Barrett.

Last October, after about a year-and-a-half of planning and construction, the lab moved into a new 10,000-square-foot facility. It has an open, airy feel with large windows on every wall and glass walls dividing the rooms. “We have natural sunlight and happy faces. This is a stressful job and I think when you feel like you’re working in a beautiful environment, you do beautiful work,” says Barrett.

During the design process, the owners surveyed staff members to...