New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home at Menlo Park - veterans' long-term care facility in new Jersey

Nursing Homes, August, 1999

MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY

Type of Facility/Setting: Veterans' Long-Term Care Facility Chief Executive Officer: Melvin Friedman, DPA, LNHA Firm: Nadaskay Kopelson Architects: 973-539-5353 Total Area: 208,000 sq. ft. Construction Cost: $34 million Resident Capacity: 332 beds Cost/Sq. Ft.: $163.46

ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS

Melvin Friedman, DPA, LNHA, Chief Executive Officer: "This facility is much easier to staff and manage than the old facility was. The Town square is 'where the action is,' and everything is an offshoot from that. We now have five separate residential units, with staff dedicated to each unit. Staff members now have a chance to develop relationships with residents and their families and provide a more personalized service.

"The building is easy to get around in. It has been designed so that you never have to backtrack or walk through residential quarters to get from Point A to Point B; there are a number of different routes to take; meanwhile there is more privacy for residents.

"Residents also have direct access to the outdoors from two floors because the building is on a hill, with one floor leading to the upslope and one to the downslope. This makes it easier for walking outdoors and for observing fire safety.

"It's a little early - we've only been in the building two months - but I've already had more resident and family feedback than I have time to mention. A predominant comment is that it looks like a hotel, and they mean that very positively: wall sconces and indirect lighting, without a fluorescent light in sight; furniture that is all wood, with no metal used at all. A lot has been done to make it seem like a comfortable home.

"The Quality Review Board (see last paragraph), which involves just about all the decision makers in the project, is probably the best way I've seen to manage a building project. We have clinicians, the architect, the primary contractor, accountants from the state treasury, myself - basically a broad enough representation so that if you need a particular kind of expertise, it's there. And we have decision-making authority; we no longer have to turn to a government department or commissioner who is far removed from the action. What's more, we are all so familiar with the project that we're almost always unanimous in what we do."

The New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home at Menlo Park replaces original buildings dating back to 1932. The primary design goal was to create an environment that was noninstitutional and offered a rich range of spatial and interactive experiences. To that end, the building was conceived as an indoor town.

The building is organized around the "Town square," a place where the residents can socialize in small or large groups, use the library or bank, get a haircut or have something to eat. Each of the four bed wings extend from the Town square into "neighborhoods." Each cluster of four, two-bed rooms is arranged around a widened portion of the corridor, which acts as a "front porch" on the neighborhood "street."

The project's design philosophy was that a building meant for the care of our country's veterans should celebrate one of the only true American design aesthetics, the Arts and Crafts style. Furthermore, since this style is associated primarily with residential architecture, it reinforces the creation of a "home-like" environment. Popularized in the early 20th century, this style can be seen throughout the facility - from light fixtures, flooring patterns, sloped roofs and deep overhangs to the design of metal railings and furniture found in public spaces and in the resident bedrooms.

The main circulation path through the facility (appropriately named "Veterans Way") extends from Town square in two directions and contains additional resident services, such as doctors' offices, dentist and pharmacy. The main resident dining rooms, each with outdoor porches, are situated at each end of "Veterans Way." Each dining room is shared by two "neighborhoods." Dining at different neighborhoods is strongly encouraged.

Each "neighborhood" bed unit wing is arranged around a large, open court. Four of the six wings have access to the courtyards, and because the court offers protection from the prevailing winds, the outdoor space can be used for much of the year. Moreover, because of careful site planning, residents can sit in the courtyards and enjoy the shade provided by 40- and 50-year-old trees.

A self-contained Alzheimer's unit is located on the lower level, and its internal layout resembles the spatial experience of the main facility. A large central dining/lounge area acts as the "Town square" for this unit and an internal "strolling path" serves as the unit's main avenue of circulation. At each end of the path are smaller, more intimate activity areas, each of which provides an easily identifiable "home base" for that half of the wing's residents.

An adult day care center with a private entrance is available to nonresident veterans.

Working with Regulators

Comments of Nadaskay Kopelson Architects: