Building the Nest: Designing for Veteran Healing

Abstract

The Eagle's Healing Nest, located in Sauk Centre, MN, serves as a refuge for veterans and active duty members where they receive the support and assistance they need. Coming from all over the country, veterans migrate to the Nest to heal and restore honor, dignity, and purpose in their lives. Around 30% of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experience post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Many of the residents at the Eagle's Healing Nest also suffer from this condition. Architecture can play an important role in the treatment and healing of these veterans. By providing a restorative and relaxing environment that minimizes perceived threats, architecture can calm the mind of the veteran to allow full focus on therapy and healing practices. An architectural intervention at the Eagle's Nest will address two facets of veteran healing: the transition and re-integration into civilian life and the design of therapeutic spaces for the healing of the mind. This will be achieved through the construction of a new therapy building and the renovation of the existing auditorium built in the 1920s.