The Center for Wounded Veterans is a first for a university campus
By David Malone, Associate Editor
A 32,000-sf facility built on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus provides transitional living facilities and support services to disabled veterans, to help them live independently and introduce them to the university environment.
The Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education is the first building of its kind on a U.S. college campus. The three-story building comprises 12 residential suites, training and classroom spaces, a fitness center, dining and kitchen space, a relaxation area, a medical examination room, and offices. Level surfaces on the dropoff and entry sequence, with hands-free, motion-activated sliding doors, ensure that everyone enters through the same door without assistance.
Designed by LCM Architects, the building’s exterior is clad in brick, stone, and metal panels to reflect the predominant architecture found on campus.