Honoring Our Commitment to Veterans Through Purposeful Design

Veterans Day offers the opportunity to reflect on those who have served, and it is also personal for me. My father served in the US Army, and my father-in-law in the US Army Air Corps. Their stories were filled with both overseas adventures and the lifelong friendships they forged. Their memories are also tinged with sacrifice and loss. Though I did not follow in their footsteps, I’m fortunate to work in a profession that allows me to honor and serve the veteran community by designing purposeful care facilities that prioritize dignity, autonomy, and wellness.

Our senior living practice’s focus on veterans’ environments began nearly 15 years ago, when the US Department of Veterans Affairs published its Small House Model Design Guide, which established new standards for long-term care facilities in private residential-scale settings with shared common areas. This progressive approach represents a cultural transformation away from the medical/institutional model that had been typical across the public and private sectors. Since the guide was published, we have designed several small-scale projects for both state and federal veterans’ campuses.

This year alone, our team has made some remarkable contributions to veterans’ home and care environments. The Small House Model continues to evolve as the needs of the veteran population evolve, and we have responded with intentional designs of intimate homes; they each honor the needs of their communities with a layered approach of programming that emphasizes health and wellness, independence, camaraderie, and dignity.

Michigan: D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans

The D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans is under construction in Marquette, MI. Rendering © Perkins Eastman

In May, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer attended the groundbreaking for the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette, which will house 108 long-term care residences when it opens in 2027. The home is designed for the subarctic temperatures and heavy snowfall of the state’s Upper Peninsula. The architecture and interiors are inspired by the industrial remnants of the town’s shipping industry on the banks of Lake Superior. Its clean-lined, modern design speaks to the strong Scandinavian heritage of those who live in the region.

Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy

The new long-term care facility at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy is spacious, airy, and welcoming for residents, their families, and the home’s staff. Photographs by Dan Schwalm © HDR

Our team also joined Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who attended the ribbon cutting for the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy in October. Founded in 1886 as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home, it is the oldest and largest veterans’ home in the state. We felt a deep commitment to honor its legacy as we helped prepare a 50-year master plan to guide the campus’ future and design a phased redevelopment of the historic property. The recently completed first phase includes 210 long-term care residences and an 80-apartment domiciliary building—both thoughtfully arranged around the existing campus’s central green.

Minnesota Veterans Homes

The entrance to the Minnesota Veterans Home at Montevideo features flags representing the country’s military branches. Photographs by Andrew Rugge © Perkins Eastman

As part of our ongoing research, my colleague Greg Gauthreaux and I toured the Minnesota countryside this fall to conduct post-occupancy evaluations of our three new state veterans’ homes in the rolling hills of Preston, the rich farmlands of Montevideo, and the forested terrain of Bemidji. The homes enable Minnesota to serve some 200 more veterans than the state’s prior capacity. We had the rare opportunity to design these campuses with prototypical features, each with elements unique to its community and residents.

The Montevideo Veterans Home, like its companions in Preston and Bemidji, feature warm residential interiors that speak to the community’s natural environment.

The three new homes opened in 2024 and now have lengthy waiting lists—due in no small part to the committed staff and their extraordinary care of and engagement with their veteran residents. During our visits, we were often told that the chefs make and serve meals in front of residents, so the veterans can assist with some preparation and share in menu planning. The homes have also fostered an impressive commitment to physical therapy and wellness—to the point where a physical therapist commented that the frequency and intensity of their daily workouts seemed like a competition among veterans. We were told that some residents partake in these programs two or three times a day, perhaps a result of their military culture. While the homes are not tracking utilization metrics, we believe that this culture contributes to greater well-being and longevity.

Bemidji’s fitness center—a frequent draw for residents—is bright and welcoming.

The amenities and commons areas provide ample space for the local community to visit, participate in events, and stroll through outdoor gardens and courtyards or on walking paths. When the cold weather prevents outside activities, the staff praise the abundant amount of daylight that streams through the large windows and connects people to the beautiful surrounding landscapes. Our intention is for the indoor and outdoor environments of each home to support the ongoing creation of shared experiences for the veterans, families, staff, and friends—as well as future generations who will live, work, and visit there.

Contributing to the Cause

Today and every day, I am passionate about collaborating with veterans and civilians at local, state, and federal government agencies who oversee these projects and interacting with those who operate the homes and provide direct care. Our interactions ensure we are meeting the needs of this cherished population through purposeful design. I’ve always been inspired by the veterans in my own family and fondly remember their stories told during our gatherings. It is an honor for our team to create environments that pay tribute to veterans’ service and ground them in their communities.