JSD’s Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering teams are leading the design of the Agrace Hospice & Dementia Village–a groundbreaking care environment that unites a grief support and hospice center with a proposed dementia‑specific assisted living —one of the first integrated facilities of its kind in the nation.

Our work emphasizes exterior environments that are therapeutic, dignified, and intuitive, supporting residents, families, and caregivers through every stage of care. The Agrace campus began with a four‑acre expansion to its Fitchburg Hospice Residence, adding a 60,000‑square‑foot assisted living center, structured parking, raingardens, and a detention pond. JSD’s civil engineers optimized both onsite and offsite stormwater storage, incorporating a regional detention facility to maximize efficiency and long‑term resilience.

JSD is advancing Agrace’s mission by leading the design of the 14-acre Dementia Village—the first dementia-specific community of its scale to debut in the United States. The project introduces a visionary, human-centered model of memory care that moves away from institutional, hospital-style environments in favor of a warmer, more familiar village setting that prioritizes dignity, comfort, and connection. The community is organized into eight themed houses, each containing eight studio apartments intentionally designed to reflect residents’ life experiences and support reminiscence therapy.

The site’s complex topography requires a highly coordinated and technically rigorous response. JSD is delivering a comprehensive suite of services, including an existing conditions surveying, site planning & landscape architecture, civil engineering, and entitlement support.