We recently celebrated the official grand opening of the Chelsea Veterans’ Home Community Living Center. While the building has been largely complete for the past year –new requirements that Commonwealth-owned Long Term Care Facilities need meet the requirements of the Department of Public Health and be licensed. Approval of the license was given in early October and the first 22 residents moved into the new facility later in the month.
With the holiday season in full swing, the building opening was truly something for which to be thankful for many of the Veterans, who now have their own light-filled, private rooms with panoramic views, and plenty of shared activity spaces to enjoy moments both large and small with their families and fellow friends. Family members were very complimentary of the new facility and commented that it felt like home when visiting their loved ones at Thanksgiving. The building is expected to be fully occupied by early 2024.
It offers a sense of community for our veterans, allows them to have dignity and autonomy in a home-like environment, and makes sure that their physical, mental and emotional needs are met
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey
Friday’s ribbon cutting celebrated the official opening of the new Veterans’ Home in Chelsea with the first 22 Residents.
© Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services
For many in attendance, it was an opportunity to see the building for the first time. The soaring solar canopy is a highlight on the building exterior that speaks to the Commonwealth’s commitment on energy use reduction and a cutting-edge expression, blending form and function that defines the building as a monument on the historical site. The geothermal well-field provides the source of heating and cooling for the building – eliminating the need for fossil fuels. The envelope has been fine-tuned, utilizing a triple-glazed curtain wall, and a high insulation value but also provides operable windows that staff and residents can open on temperate days for fresh air and passive comfort.
As a medical professional, I can tell you, that is the most magnificent healthcare building I’ve ever seen.
Massachusetts VA Secretary Dr. Jon Santiago
The newly constructed Veterans’ Home in Chelsea is a new chapter to ensure our veterans get the care they have earned and deserve.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
Payette Principal Scott Parker (right) discussing the design of the new Community Living Center with State and Federal Officials on Friday, December 8, 2023.
The final phase of the project will be the demolition of the Quigley Hospital building and full restoration of the landscape and Powderhorn Hill Park.
© Photography by Yin Xia / Payette
Opening later this year, the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, MA is an essay in the tuning of building façades for performance. The aluminum sunshades that veil the building began as a concept tested by scoring Bristol paper. The team utilized tools from all modalities: paper models, CNC-mills, parametric studies, solar analysis, wind and water simulations and full-scale mock-ups to inform the design and drive energy use down. The ultra-high performance building is tracking a 61% reduction in energy use compared to the 2030 baseline.
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