July 8, 2025 – Olsson has been honored with an Award of Merit from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). The engineering and design firm received the award for its “ingenuity and originality in lighting design” for the interior lighting of Memoir, a new, vibrant restaurant in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.

"Memoir’s thoughtful illumination fosters an inviting atmosphere for guests to make lasting memories.”  

“I’m thrilled to see Memoir recognized for its interior lighting design,” said Olsson’s Addie Schrader, who engineered the lighting design for the project. “It has been an incredible team effort to create the restaurant’s unique visual experience. Memoir’s thoughtful illumination fosters an inviting atmosphere for guests to make lasting memories.”  

The Illumination Award for Interior Lighting Design category gives an Award of Merit to a project that showcases “exceptional interior lighting that balances the functional illumination of space with the artistic application of light to enhance the occupant’s experience.”

“Memoir has an open-hearth kitchen that was designed to create a visual experience with uninterrupted sight lines,” Schrader said. “The lighting design also brings the warmth of home and enhances the culinary experience at the restaurant.”

Schrader and her team led mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering and design services for the project. For a decade, Olsson has worked with the owner/operator of Memoir, Flagship Restaurant Group, and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture on several new developments. Flagship Restaurant Group began in Omaha and has since expanded into 13 states throughout the country.  

More than 600 projects were narrowed down by judges from a broad professional spectrum, representing diverse skills and depth of lighting design knowledge and application expertise. Projects were scored based on a variety of criteria including design complexity, lighting and controls concept, lighting integration, visual comfort, community impact and more.

Projects from around the world will be honored at the IES Illumination Awards program this fall in Anaheim, California.