GORDON H. MANSFIELD VETERANS VILLAGE

 

LOCATION: TINTON FALLS, NJ

CLIENT: SOLDIERON INC.

MARKET SECTOR: REAL ESTATE

SIZE: 70 1-BEDROOM APARTMENTS

AWARD: 2022 GOVERNORS CONFERENCE ON HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADING HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

THE OPPORTUNITY

PS&S had the privilege to work on a unique development opportunity to design a housing village to serve as a residence for homeless veterans. The goal of this project was to create inviting, efficient, and thoughtfully designed apartments along with a multitude of common-use spaces to ultimately create an overall empowering community for the Veterans in New Jersey who will be living there.

THE CHALLENGES

The challenge was to create a “village” that would be the home for a multitude of services, including case management, wellness support, workforce, benefits and application assistance, legal services, transportation, telehealth, meals, and other similar support programs.

The building design and construction challenges were to create a building that is not only aesthetically pleasing but that also performs extremely efficiently by integrating sustainable and energy friendly elements into the building envelope. An additional challenge for this building was the desire and requirement for a women ’s-only section, separated by floor with secure access and common space, and to design and construct it to compliment the building and do so efficiently.

The shape of the property and environmental constraints limited the building’s possible configurations, parking, and site access and required much coordination between PS&S Land Development and Building Design groups. The site was fully wooded in the existing condition, so extensive stormwater management was required to meet the town and NJDEP requirements.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

The PS&S Design and Engineering Teams worked together with the Winn organization and Soldier On, the service provider, to ensure that the building, property, and essence all fit together to support this community’s future residents. This building will be aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient for years to come through spatial layout and material selections.

Through close collaboration with the Winn organization and the General Contractor, PS&S was able to develop a set of documents that incorporated all the design elements and aesthetics desired along with a wide range of sustainable features from EnergyStar compliant HVAC units, hot water recirculation devices, high R-value wall cavities, and low U-value windows. From an owner operation standpoint, there is a multitude of systems in place to maximize security and energy efficiency, from a comprehensive security camera system to a wireless thermostat energy tracking system.

Several important components of the building were incorporated to encourage the residents to socialize and spend more time in the community-based spaces versus their apartments, a Soldier On requirement for the Veterans’ betterment. The main community space is conveniently located in the building’s center to lend itself as a natural place that residents will frequent as they enter the building. In addition, exterior spaces on the property were an important consideration.

The site engineering includes walking paths, patios, a greenhouse with a community garden, fully landscaped open space areas, and a columbarium with an eternal flame used as a memorial for past residents.

The Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Village project received the following awards:

  • 2022 Leading Housing Development Award from the Governor's Conference on Housing and Economic Development

  • 2021 Planning Merit Award (“Monmouth County Project of the Year”) from the Monmouth County Planning Board

  • 2021 Soldier On Award - Presented to Commissioner Lillian G. Burry, Former Tinton Falls Mayor Gerald Turning, and Former Tinton Falls Borough Council President Gary Baldwin