Disabled American Veterans (DAV) determined the need for a new national headquarters to better meet the current and future requirements of their team, visitors, and the veterans they serve. Since its inception in 1920, DAV maintained its Greater Cincinnati connections while expanding as a national organization. The new headquarters, located in Northern Kentucky, is highly visible to the public next to the Interstate 75 interchange with I-275. The facility comprises 67,000 square feet, a footprint about half the size of the former location made possible through efficient space planning.
From the scale of the overall site and building design, all the way down to the interior architectural detailing, the chevron that iconically references the traditional military insignia drives the project geometry and detailing. The chevron-inspired entry features an elongated façade, opening up to the community and strengthening the organization’s presence along the interstate. The building’s materiality is directly linked to the DAV branding of the organization to further reinforce outreach and messaging. The entry plaza’s chevron derived geometry draws guests through the public lobby toward the visitor center, museum, and retail store.
The lobby interior includes several design elements (custom wood ceiling, desk design, logo wall, and video tower) that subtly reinforce the DAV brand with a hierarchy of elements to provide inspiration for visitors entering the front door. The chevron design lines extend through to the exterior memorial garden – a peaceful, contemplative moment tailored to the individual branches of service. Progressing through the interiors the chevron concept works at multiple design scales, from concrete patterning and environmental graphics, down to the custom wood “V” wall and tile design.
Building Architecture- Large Scale (>10,000 sf)
September, 2021