Located within a National Historic Landmarks District, the original 777 Meridian Building sits adjacent to the Indiana War Memorial Plaza. Built in 1925, the building served as the first National Headquarters for the American Legion. It was originally the first property conceived on the Indiana War Memorial site, launching the development of the additional memorials in that space today. Our design team helped the State of Indiana re-imagine its future use as a consolidated headquarters for Military Veteran Services. The State of Indiana’s vision was for the building to be a nucleus of veteran activity, resources and strength in Indiana, where Veterans could access a host of resources all in one place. The 35,000-square-foot, 4-story building includes a combination of federal, state, county and city, class-A office space that offers a wide array of veteran support services. This includes financial, legal, and housing assistance, on-site vocational training, and health and wellness support.

The distinctive structure needed a transformative renovation while still preserving all the detail of its early 1920’s significance and architecture. Our design team worked closely with historian and preservationist Dr. James Glass to assess the building for areas of architectural and cultural historic significance. This helped drive the program layout which offers a combination of open and private offices and takes cues from the original building’s uses. For example, the building’s first floor corner office was originally occupied by the Commander of the National Legion Headquarters and is now to be used as the office of the Director of the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs. The project included all new lighting, HVAC systems, fire safety, ADA upgrades and finishes.

Of historic significance, the G.I. Bill of Rights was crafted in this building and sent to Congress in 1944. It remains one of the most significant Veterans legislation.