Having observed how the campus and its buildings were used and occupied we developed a narrative from which our design proceeded. Our early thoughts focussed on Gallaudet’s collection of mature trees – many of which mark memorable places that define the experience of the campus just as much as the buildings. Under tree canopies, we shared time with members of Gallaudet’s community and understood the value of this place, loosened from the ordering hold of the city’s grid.
Just as the original houses gather round the historic Olmsted Green, so a group of new buildings gather round a central court-like space – a town square or a clearing in some woodland – a space in the city – a space for communication – a place between field and grid.
