Actual Architecture Co. & FACT featured in “Out There: New Architecture Across America”

The 2026 book “Out There: New Architecture Across America” features the BLUEBARN Theatre and 2 projects with FACT: The Art Chapel and Omaha Mobile Stage.

Out There is a critical survey of 50 key architectural firms across America’s regional cities and small towns. These practitioners operate at every scale and with all building types, weaving a rich architectural tapestry that reflects the breadth and diversity of the American landscape. From Merrell Publishers with a preface by Marlon Blackwell and essays from by editors Robert Ivy, Cathleen McGuigan, and Peter Mackeith.

“Out There showcases 50 architecture firms working away from the main American metropoles, illustrating the breadth of work happening across the United States … tracing the unique, regional methods being deployed by studios in the country they see as rapidly homogenizing.” Ben Dreith, Dezeen June 18, 2026 “Each of the 50 firms chosen for Out There came from the recommendations of distinguished architects, critics and our writing team,” the editors told Dezeen. “We sought design excellence, within a wide variety of contexts, places and building typologies – mostly located in the so-called ‘flyover states’ between the two coasts.”

In a review published in Architect Magazine, Aaron Betsky writes, “By chance, as it is organized alphabetically by the name of the firms, the book starts particularly strong. Omaha, Nebraska is the home of a firm called Actual, which is the alphabetically-advantageous moniker for the firm Jeff Day, a local professor of some renown and great talent, runs.

His work is generally small and incisive, ranging from the opening of a small house in Lincoln into an “Art Chapel” to the conversion of a truck into a “Mobile Stage.” When you do work focused on art and catch the image at the magic hour, it is hard to go wrong, and these opening pages took my breath away.”

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