Gardner, MA – The Northeast Veterans Training and Rehabilitation Center in Gardner, designed by Kuhn Riddle Architects of Amherst, will serve Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have sustained severe injuries such as loss of a limb, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and severe burns.
This residential center will be a place to receive physical and emotional rehabilitation as well as educational training, while living alongside their family.
Construction started with the conversion/renovation of a Kelton Street house into the construction Site Office/Operations Center; the house will eventually become the NVTRC management office. The project will receive LEED Silver Certification.
The Rehabilitation Center is situated on12 acres of land donated by Mount Wachusett Community College. The facilities of the College are open to the veterans and their families. The College has extended free access to veterans and their family members to the full curriculum of College level classes. The College Day Care Center will also be available at no cost to the families.
The Heywood Hospital, located directly across the street from the NVTRC facility, will be part of the services available to the NVTRC program.
The Veterans and families will be housed in separate living quarters located on the Project grounds. These 10 duplex wood-framed cottages will be approximately 2500sf each unit with two bedrooms, bath, kitchen and living area. The cottage concept will allow the clients to practice their living skills and provide privacy for both the veteran and his or her family.
There will also be a 7,000sf therapy building which features an indoor therapy pool, a weight/exercise room, and a golf simulator.
“Green” building elements utilized in this project include photovoltaic arrays, geothermal ground source heating, and structural insulated panels. Additionally no outside fill has been brought in for this project, back-fill was preserved from the site and foundation excavation and larger rock from the site has been crushed on-site to produce local aggregate.
The Northeast Veterans Training Facility will be owned and operated by Veteran Homestead in Fitchburg.
