Gallery: The Radical Challenge of Building a Dorm for the Deaf
Prakash Patel01LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
Gallaudet University's newest residence hall was designed specifically for deaf students by New York City-based LTL Architects. The 60,000-square-foot building is the first to fully employ architectural principles that cater to the communication and spatial needs of the hearing impaired. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel02LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
DeafSpace principles are architectural guidelines to improve how deaf people interact with their built surroundings. The Gallaudet team developed more than 150 design elements that address five main problem areas for the deaf: space and proximity, sensory reach, mobility and proximity, light and color, and acoustics. *Image: LTL Architects*
03LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
The ground floor is the centerpiece of the building and is open to all students on campus. The acoustics of the space are tightly controlled thanks to a paneled ceiling and acoustic blanket that is pinned to the underside of the concrete floor. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel04LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
The ground floor’s community room has a subtle amphitheatre-like slope that when viewed through the wall of windows, is clearly in line with the natural incline of the campus’ landscape. This was to faciliate clear lines of sight throughout the building. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel05LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
Each residential floor has a kitchen that opens to a lounge. All main appliances are centered on the island, which ensures that students never have to have their backs to each other while cooking. This is meant to foster the idea of the kitchen as a gathering place where students can get to know each other. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel06LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
The lounges are open and spacious. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel07LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
A four-story feature wall highlights the main staircase, which links residential lounges and kitchens on each floor. The idea was to make the stairwell less a mode of transportation and more a place of intersection among students. Lewis says if they had a bigger budget he would have liked to add a massive skylight over the stairs. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel08LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
A multi-use space is part of the public area of the residence hall, which also include classrooms, offices and a terraced living room. This space is meant to be flexible, but it's often used for DeafSpace brainstorming sessions. *Image: LTL Architects*
Prakash Patel09LLRH6-01-PP121105-72ppi.jpg
Every floor's lounge has a wall of glass windows that provides students expansive views to the campus mall. Like the ground level, the windows provide transparency and reinforce communication between the interior and exterior. *Image: LTL Architects*
