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MAKING SENSE
from Intersight 25
by University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo
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Matthew Kinnally, Julia Wade Edward Steinfeld
Fall 2022
ARC605, Inclusive Design Graduate Research Group MArch
How do we communicate in ways we are unaccustomed to? Assistive technologies and disability rights movements have allowed for the integration of many deaf children into standard educational settings. However, special education centers remain necessary for many deaf students and their families. This
Inclusive Design Graduate Research Group studio explored the design topic for deaf youth in such a setting.
Working closely with students, faculty, and administrators of St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo, the studio analyzed the daily life in the school, seeking to identify typical use patterns and challenges. Based on this design research, wayfinding proved to be a significant challenge for many St. Mary’s students. Constructed in the mid-1800s, the current building configuration and means of access no longer suit the needs of St. Mary’s.
Following the research phase, UB students developed design alternatives to improve the spatial sequences within the building. Design collaboration and communication with St. Mary’s students posed a particular challenge at this stage, requiring design students to convey their ideas through an iterative drawing process on classroom whiteboards.
UB students Matthew Kinnally and Julia Wade designed a series of “nodes,” or well-articulated connection points between buildings on the campus. One of these nodes would connect the Main Building to Bosco Hall, one of the gymnasiums. These buildings are currently connected by a ground-level tunnel, as well as a bridge on the second level, however, neither of these paths is accessible by wheelchair. Proposed solutions included widening hallways, rounding corners, and an elevator lift.
While minor adjustments, the design interventions drawn by UB and St. Mary’s students have the potential to ease the burdens of students on a daily basis, building an environment to support every need.
