Project Sponsor: CENTRO Worcester

CENTRO is the largest minority-led, community-based, multiservice, multicultural, multilingual, non-profit organization in Central Massachusetts. Formerly known as Centro Las Americas their mission is to help both individuals and families become self-sufficient through their various community programs.

Abstract

CENTRO is a fast growing, non-profit organization planning to hire more employees than their building can comfortably hold. Our group conducted research through focus groups, interviews, and observational studies to understand CENTRO’s current space utilization. We discovered that CENTRO faces environmental distractions, imperfect space utilization, and insufficient meeting spaces. We recommended creating more meeting spaces, rearranging furniture and department locations, and removing environmental distractions. We also suggested low-cost technology solutions, such as a VPN for security, updated phones, and software collaboration tools to facilitate work-from-home policies. We believe these suggestions will increase CENTRO’s employee capacity, and modernize the organization.

Goals and Objectives

Goal

The goal of our project was to make recommendations to improve the utilization of CENTRO’s office space, creating a more comfortable and efficient working environment for the current and future employees.

Objectives & Tasks

1. Evaluating the Current Space Utilization of CENTRO
a. Measurement of space & Construction of floor plan
b. Focus group with employees about the pros and cons of their offices, and ideas about potential solutions
c. Semi-formal interviews with employees about their daily work and how often they use their offices

2. Developing a New Space Utilization Plan
a. Figure out the most suitable solution – rearrangements or renovations – to the concerns of the current design
b. Rearrange department location floor by floor
c. Rearrange furniture for each room

3. Evaluating and Finalizing the Proposed Space Utilization Plan
a. Plan additional upgrades on office devices, maps, architectural utilities
b. Estimate the budget of implementing the plan

Student Researchers

Alexandra Yaqi Deng
Major: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Class of 2021

Ian Mayer
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Class of 2021

Calvin Kocienda
Major: Computer Science
Class of 2020

Final Report