Deaf Space

Reprinted from Gallaudet Today: the Magazine, Spring 2007.

By Todd Byrd
Photos by John T. Consoli

Matthew Malzkuhn, a student in the Deaf Space project, displays a model of a deaf-friendly Gallaudet campus of the future, while architect and teacher Hansel Bauman looks on. Also pictured is the banner with an emblem-a form of written ASL-created by the students to symbolize the concept of deaf space.
A yellow ball bounces down the steps of Clerc dormitory, out the door, and rolls across Hanson Plaza. Gaining momentum, it careens down the Lincoln Circle sidewalk and takes a turn at the Hall Memorial Building, cutting a trail across campus. The ball symbolizes a Gallaudet student, but it is more accurate to say that it represents any deaf person, whose language and culture are best suited to an environment that, like the ball is spherical and free flowing. Dr. MJ Bienvenu, '74 & G-'83, chair of the Department of ASL and Deaf Studies and co-chair of the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communications Center (SLCC) Planning Committee, calls a three-year, student-centered Deaf Space project to explore the architectural needs of deaf people, "personally and professionally exciting." She asks, "If no one was using sign language, how could a visitor to Gallaudet know it is a university for deaf people?" Not by looking at the buildings. "If you look at Gallaudet and at Harvard [University], both have dignified and prestigious buildings, but the two places are very different," said Bienvenu. So, what about the campus environment represents deaf culture and experience?

The same question was asked earlier by campus constituents serving on the SLCC Planning Committee. "We need a place of identity, so we began looking at what deaf space entails," said Bienvenu. Seeking an answer, the planning committee held workshops to develop a model. Putting a finger on aspects of the campus that are not conducive to deaf sensibilities was easy--a stairway may appear aesthetically attractive, but prove to be a barrier to sign communication. Natural lighting, such as in the Jordan Student Academic Center (JSAC), is pleasing, but can be too harsh on sunny days and too dim when the sky is overcast. In these cases, artificial light can bridge the extremes. Blind spots in hallways at corners, or a door that is opened suddenly can prove hazardous to two signers engrossed in conversation. "So, we had a great understanding of what we wanted," said Bienvenu, "but we needed an architect."

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