Brief:

 

The site is based at Dispensary Walk in Halifax. The design is aiming to make the location more involved with the city centre, not being isolated as it still has a part of the history of Halifax  as it was built in the 19th Century, next to the Parish church. It is proposed the site will be renovated into a community centre for deaf people and individuals who  want to learn British Sign Language and interact with the deaf community. This building will be directed at supporting Deaf people and hearing between variety of ages under the name of ‘Its Ear Institute’.

 

The movement around the building must be considered from the perspective of the Deaf people communication using BSL or SSE language. The design reflects the way how every building needs to be accessible. There must be sense of the outdoor space being brought indoors.

 

Some spaces are open and confined, depending on which situation the activity is. The windows are crucial as deaf people can communicate through it and visualise the function of the building.

 

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 a ball, is spherical and free flowing.”  (Byrd, 2007)

 

The entrance will be welcoming as the scale goes from large to small with no sound coming in from outside . The first area is  open and directed to the reception area.It will be noisy area where everyone will be communicating each other using signing or speaking.

 

 

They will have four different options. one is going through to the Café socialising space, or into the stairs towards to the sensory spaces, Ear aids museum, upstairs to the private space where you can learn how to do sign language or have an audiology appointment. The acoustics will be different from each floor, first floor will be quiet, ground floor will be medium( average noise with some clattering noise. In the Basement ( sensory spaces) will be loud.

 

All of these spaces must have simplicity of purpose, apart from the basement and be low stimulation in order to suit the users and  to make it easier for users to communicate easier throughout their time at ITS Ear Institute. The design will bring the deaf community back together.