Minnesota State Veterans Homes, Bemidji And Preston, Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) continues its commitment to resident-centered, long-term care for veterans with the opening of two new State Veterans Homes, in Bemidji and Preston, Minn.
Each campus includes 18 resident households with private rooms and shared living/dining spaces, fostering a homelike atmosphere with interiors that reflect the regional character.
Designed by architecture firm Wold Architects and Engineers (St. Paul, Minn.) in collaboration with architecture and interior design firm Perkins Eastman (Chicago), both long-term care facilities utilize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (USDVA) small-house model, which prioritizes dignity, independence, and connection.
VA prioritizes small-house model
Here, residents are grouped into small-house living clusters, with a central dining room, kitchen, and activity spaces, making travel distance to their daily living areas shorter than in a traditional skilled nursing home.
To support residents with varying abilities, the resident room bathrooms are sized to allow residents in wheelchairs or with walkers to easily maneuver and use all the spaces and cabinets. Support accessories include a transitionless shower entry and grab bars in strategic locations, including a drop-down grab bar at the toilet.
Additionally, both communities feature a variety of spaces for interactions, from small alcoves featured near windows or activity and amenity areas such as the barber/beauty area and the rehabilitation gym to larger areas that can accommodate the entire household for an event.
Interior design inspired by regional cues
The Bemidji community is located in the north woods of Minnesota, where many of the veterans are coming from homes or cabins in very wooded settings. The veterans emphasized their deep connection to the woods during meetings with the project team, inspiring a landscape design that ensures the building feels like a true “house in the woods.” Inside, interior finishes, such as timber-patterned floor tiles and wood-look ceiling tiles, pay homage to the region’s logging heritage.
The Preston community is in southeast Minnesota, known for its rolling hills due to the limestone rock formations. To make this connection in the building architecture, limestone was used throughout the building, both in the interior and exterior. Cast limestone panels were used in various areas for exterior cladding. Limestone panels were installed as a wall finish material for interior column enclosures and feature wall areas in the main lobby and at the large, two-sided fireplace in the main lobby. Limestone panels were also used for the large fireplace in the community room.
Additional amenities include an entry gallery, multipurpose room, administrative suite, café, theater, therapy space, barbershop/salon, mediation room, library, and lounges. Outdoor features include exterior courtyards, a large outdoor gathering plaza, walking paths, and a connection to the community bike trails.
Minnesota State Veterans Homes, Bemidji and Preston, Minn., project details
Project location: Bemidji, Minn., and Preston, Minn.
Completion date: August 2023
Owner: State of Minnesota, Operated by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA)
Total building area: Bemidji (80,000 sq. ft.); Preston (60,600 sq. ft.)
Architect: Wold Architects & Engineers (architect of record), Perkins Eastman
Interior designer: Perkins Eastman
General contractor: Adolfson & Peterson Construction (Bemidji), Knutson Construction (Preston)
Engineer: Wold Architects and Engineers (MEP), Pierce Pini & Associates Inc. (civil), Colberg I Tews Landscape Architecture (structural)
Builder: Adolfson & Peterson Construction (Bemidji), Knutson Construction (Preston)
Project details are provided by the design team and not vetted by Healthcare Design.
