Located within a National Historic Landmarks District, the original 777 Meridian Building resides on the Indiana War Memorial Mall. Built in 1925, the building served as the National Headquarters for the American Legion. Our design team helped the State of Indiana re-imagine its future use as a consolidated headquarters for Military Veteran Services. The 35,000-square-foot, 4-story building includes a combination of federal, state, county and city 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.
Our design team worked closely with a historic preservationist 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 proposed to be used by 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.
