the lodge - veterans affairs

The Lodge is a 20-bed Alzheimer’s and dementia facility for the VA Roseburg Healthcare System. The project moves away from the traditional nursing home paradigm – characterized as a system that fosters dependance by keeping residents well cared for, safe, and powerless – to a “regenerative” model with the goal of increasing the residents autonomy and sense of control. The VA wished to create a home for those who served their country and now require compassionate care in return. The Lodge provides these Veterans with a supportive, respectful, non-institutional, and rich setting to live their remaining days. The design is a village-like collection of two “houses” and support buildings set in a verdant landscape. Small, distinct, and home-like units meet the needs of cognitively impaired residents who are mobile and energetic and/or restless or particularly disoriented. The design facilitates rehabilitative care while providing a supportive, comfortable, and life-enhancing environment. The design complies with the federal Sustainable Design and Energy Reduction Manual for New Construction achieved LEED certification.