By AIA Northern Nevada
MERIT
Architect: Van Woert Bigotti Architects
Contractor: Q&D Construction
Completion date: 2019
Location: Reno, Nevada
As baby boomers grow older, they increasingly need places to do so with grace. Sometimes, this is a design solution that converts a home so the elderly can “age-in-place,” but it often means relocating to an assisted-living facility or nursing home. This evolving building type is open to many design innovations, from technologies and ways of making spaces feel like home to finding new ways for residents to create communities in their new surroundings.
The Northern Nevada Veterans Home, a federal and state-funded project, is a 116,000 square foot, 96-bed retirement home in Reno for Nevada’s men and women who served our country domestically and abroad. Both the state and federal officials were looking for an exceptional facility to serve these veterans. With that, the design team searched for a solution that would provide a positive environment that would inspire healthy living and active social interaction. This facility is designed not merely to house retiring soldiers in a “tired” season of life. Instead, it is designed as a diverse community of spaces where veterans can come together with common histories, current and new social circles, and supportive family networks in a visually familiar, inspiring, light-filled, and active environment.
The State of Nevada Veterans Administration is re-thinking the way retirement homes are designed and operated in Nevada. This project incorporates the “Greenhouse” design concept of providing a more home-like atmosphere where Veterans can share their lives in a sustainable, energy-efficient, residential environment. The challenge was to design within a very tight budget and provide a well-deserved safe, warm, and comfortable environment that is modern yet familiar. With that, the design team elected to utilize a simple repetition of wings and courtyards along a common connecting “Main Street” and apply a variety of familiar finishes to create comfort and visual interest to the “Community” environment. A home away from home concept is implemented for visiting family and friends and a meaningful experience with comrades.
The design solution composes three independent “care units” as wings that are connected to a Town Square space, where a common dining hall, coffee shop, sports bar, gift shop, physical therapy and other services are organized around a community living room, which includes comfortable seating for reminiscing and a central fireplace to keep warm and feel at home. Between these “Wings” are safe, secure courtyards for outdoor enjoyment. Main Street is a gently curved connecting walkway to the three care-unit “Wings” — one for ambulatory care, one for managed care and one for memory care. These three modular living “Wings” with skilled nursing are linked to the central Commons with a shared “Clubhouse,” which offers Therapy, Small Clinic, Arts & Crafts and Salon, along with Chapel, Canteen, and Meeting Room spaces. Each unit has two “Neighborhood” zones that house 16 veterans each, which are then broken down into (2) houses of eight. Each “Neighborhood” has its own living, dining, and kitchen areas where Vets can “stay in” and eat if they choose, or go down to Town Square and be with his/her compatriots. Vets are given endless options for developing and nurturing their physical health and mental well-being in a comfortable, secure environment.
With a very strict and limited budget, the design team had to pay close attention to detail and placement of specific materiality to make the most of the warmth and texture they provided. In an attempt to de-institutionalize the living conditions of retired veterans living in retirement houses, the design focused on counteracting the necessary institutional elements with those that portrayed depth, integrity, and pride inspired by the context of our Northern Nevada Region. Each “care unit” has a common theme: 1. “Reflections” — Lakes in the surrounding region; 2. “Sierra” — Native trees of our surrounding region; 3. “Wilderness” — Animals living in our surrounding region. Within these units, each wing and room was named after a corresponding Lake, Tree, or Animal native to Northern Nevada. These themes inspired the color palette and way-finding details to connect each space cohesively and enhance recognition and pride for the resident.
A few unique interior architecture strategies to point out are: First, the composition of polished, board-formed concrete, native Douglas Fir and raw steel. The balance of these materials, thoughtfully placed in each area to anchor the space, provides visual and physical integrity. Second, the design team created a custom “football” field floor surface pattern directly adjacent to the occupational therapy room so that the veterans could use it as “goal markers” in their rehabilitation exercises. Within the field detail is a replica of the UNR Nevada Wolf Pack logo (requested by Governor Sandoval). Third, felt wrapped convex and concave custom fabricated ceiling panels are integrated down Main Street of Town Square to delineate the space with a visual softness, warmth, texture and elegance, all the while absorbing sound. Together, the warmth, texture and psychological comfort set the environmental tone for the interiors creating a familiar, confident image for a Veteran needing that level of comfort as he/she makes one of the most important moves of their life — a place to finally call home.
