The way organizations operate has changed dramatically in recent years—and the spaces that support them need to evolve as well. Michael Petrovick Architects worked with Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services (HCS) to assess how its longtime Keene headquarters could better support the organization’s current operations and future needs.

HCS has occupied its headquarters since 2002, when the building was renovated to support a traditional workplace model in which most employees worked on-site and departments were organized around dedicated offices and workstations. Over time, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, HCS’s operations changed significantly. Remote and hybrid work, along with changes in service delivery, reduced the need for a large daily office presence and prompted HCS to reconsider how it used its existing space.

Working collaboratively with HCS leadership and staff, MPA evaluated staffing levels, work patterns, departmental relationships, operational workflows, and current space utilization. The process combined programming and stakeholder engagement with an assessment of the existing facility and the development of conceptual plans that explored how departments and programs could be reorganized within a more efficient footprint.

The study found that HCS could reduce its operational space from about 24,800 square feet to 16,200 square feet while creating a workplace better suited to how its staff works today. The recommended approach improves departmental adjacencies, incorporates flexible work and meeting spaces for a hybrid workforce, increases opportunities for collaboration, and establishes a framework for modernizing an interior that has served the organization for more than two decades.

Right-sizing HCS’s operations also identified approximately 6,000 square feet of surplus space, creating an opportunity to think strategically about the building’s future. Potential uses could include program expansion, partnerships, community-focused uses, or leasing opportunities that complement HCS’s mission and existing services.

More than a space plan, the feasibility study provides HCS with a strategic framework for making informed decisions about its headquarters. By aligning the building with current operations while preserving flexibility for future change, HCS can continue to use its facility as both an effective organizational asset and a community resource.

Client: Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services
Location: Keene, New Hampshire
Services: Feasibility Study / Programming / Space Planning