BKA Architects designs renovation of 4,000 s/f conference space for Old Colony Elder Services

The renovation of a redesigned 4,000 s/f conference space for the Old Colony Elder Services (OCES) has been completed by the design-build team of Construction Planners, Inc. and BKA Architects. The primary issue facing OCES was that the existing conference space was inadequate in terms of capacity and utility to meet the changing needs of this non-profit organization that assists elders, their families and caregivers by offering supportive in-home and community-based services. There was a need to be able to accommodate a variety of functions ranging from 200 person conferences to small meetings and training sessions. In addition, the space should include rest rooms and a kitchen so that attendees could remain within the conference area space. The design created a core area in the space in which the kitchen and toilet rooms are located. Around this core area, a main conference room was created that has the capacity to accommodate 200 people. For smaller events and meetings, operable acoustical partitions may be used to divide the space while still allowing separate access to the core area. With this infrastructure, the space is set-up to be flexible and also allow multiple meetings to take place simultaneously by both OCES and/or other parties that rent the space. The team is working on the next phase of the renovation which is to transform a 6,000 s/f area into a business area that will allow additional staff needs to be accommodated in the existing available space. The resulting design calls for an open plan office with one conference room for business uses, a kitchen and renovation of the restrooms. The environment will be enhanced by the use of a green/blue color palette throughout the space. As the office must remain functional and staffed throughout this process, the challenge will be making it possible for OCES staff to work in the space while the renovation work is being completed. This will be achieved through the coordination of staff moves to and from designated areas such as other conference rooms.