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Designing For All Senses

Location

Undisclosed

Scope of Services

Architecture
Design
Interior Design
Planning
Universal Design
Visualization
ADA Accessibility Consulting
FHA Accessibility Consulting

LCM is designing a new facility for a Center and School for Students that are deaf-blind. The new, two-story, 24,131-square-foot structure is designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification. The design features inconspicuous details based on the Principles of Universal Design, considering a wide range of abilities.

 

Tags

Architecture Deaf-Blind Education School Students Universal Design

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LCM is designing a new facility for a Center and School for Students that are deaf-blind. For decades, the center has helped students with a wide range of disabilities reach their maximum independence. They offer education, housing, therapy, and support services. As a result, they have helped enrich students’ development and helped prepare them for life’s experiences.

LCM assessed the existing facility and conducted programming studies to determine the future spatial needs of the Center. Through a comparative analysis of potential design solutions, the client decided that constructing a new facility was the best way forward.

The new, two-story, 24,131-square-foot structure is designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification. The program includes classrooms for different age groups, residential dormitories, a multipurpose gathering space, a sensory room, and a vocational room to teach essential life skills. In addition, staff support spaces include offices, conference rooms, workrooms, and a lounge. A café, kitchen, and a nurse suite support the residential component of the program. The café is a double-height lively hub with ample natural light and a two-way exchange of sights, sounds, and smells. The mini café upstairs also contains a teaching kitchen. Wooden slats and storefront glass walls fence the mini café in place of traditional railings to eliminate potential falling hazards.

The design features inconspicuous details based on the Principles of Universal Design, considering a wide range of abilities, such as flush transitions and wheelchair-accessible playground equipment. Additionally, environmental factors, like temperature, acoustics, and elements, provide multisensory cues. The use of texture walls and other non-visual signage provides a sense of orientation to visually challenged students within the spaces.