Met-Tile Lends Residential Flavor to Veterans Homes

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Met-Tile Lends Residential Flavor to Trio of Veterans Homes

When the architectural firm of Dickson, Tyson & Associates, P.A. (Jackson, Miss.) set out to design three virtually identical Veterans' facilities for the State, their design objective was to create a village-like, residential flavor to the buildings. This was a difficult challenge given the project requirements (e.g., not only the medical and therapy functions, but also the fact that the facilities had to be one hour fire protected, non-combustible, and fully automatically wet sprinklered to meet Federal guidelines).

Each home is 77,000 sq. ft. in size and provides a residence for 150 men and women, arranged in three clusters of 50 beds each with centralized nursing control stations. The architect looked at a number of roofing materials before selecting Met-Tile's metal "tile panel" system. Shingles offered lower initial cost, but were not as favorable on a life cycle cost basis. Clay tile offered the desired aesthetics but would have been prohibitively expensive in that part of the country.

The architect then decided to use some type of metal roofing because of its durability, low maintenance and favorable life cycle costing. Met-Tile was selected because it combined these performance features with the desired residential look, and it also offered superior aesthetics over other tile facsimile profiles. Ease of installation was another factor in the decision-making process.
The Slate Gray Met-Tile roofing blends in perfectly with the residential look of the project. Upon approaching the complex, one sees the sloped tile-look roofs with a porte cochere arrival, a gatehouse security building and a landscaped environment. Entering the building, one is greeted by a glazed lobby, user-friendly on winter days with sunlight. Daylighting extends down the main corridor toward the bedroom wings, past dining and recreation. According to a statement from the building team, "By the sensitive use of materials, natural light, building arrangement, traditional shapes and even a screened porch, the building works to conceal its medical and therapy functions and building mass. It rests upon its site and creates a place for nurturing human beings."

The facility includes 150 beds, the administration of nursing home and the Veterans Affairs Board, food services, chapel, dining, recreation, pharmacy, therapy, maintenance facilities and other required support facilities.

The facility pictured in the photo is the South Mississippi Veterans' Home located in Collins, Mississippi. General contractor for the project was Larry J. Sumrall Contractors, Inc., Laurel, Mississippi; the Met-Tile installer was Panel Exteriors, Memphis, Tennessee.