SmithGroup Selected to Design Center for Language and Communication at Gallaudet University.WASHINGTON -- SmithGroup, the nation's eighth-largest architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firm, has been selected to design the new James Lee James Lee is the name of:
SLCC Second Life Community Convention (online gaming) SLCC Soil and Land Conservation Council SLCC Subscriber Line Carrier Circuit SLCC South London Christian College (UK) ) at Washington D.C.'s Gallaudet University, one of the world's leading institutions for the deaf and hard of hearing. "The Sorenson Center is intended as a true landmark, and will occupy an important site on this historically and architecturally significant campus," stated Tom Butcavage, SmithGroup's lead designer for the project. "It really is a great design opportunity." The 83,000-gross-square-foot academic teaching and research facility will include classrooms, laboratories, clinics, libraries, and office space. Departments housed in the new Center will include American Sign Language American Sign Language n. The primary sign language used by deaf and hearing-impaired people in the United States and Canada. American Sign Language (ASL), n. and Deaf Studies, and Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences. "We are very impressed with SmithGroup's clear understanding of the new building's purpose," said Dr. Jane Fernandes, Gallaudet University Provost. "We look forward to working with them to construct a state-of-the-art facility for deaf and hard of hearing people." In November 2004, Sorenson Media and the Sorenson Legacy Foundation donated $5 million to Gallaudet University to create the Sorenson Language and Communications Center. The building is scheduled to start construction in June, 2006, with completion targeted for November, 2007. Joining the SmithGroup design team is George Balsley, a deaf architect from Amherst, MA, who will offer special expertise to ensure that the architectural, lighting, acoustic and audiovisual aids are supportive of a deaf design environment. Deaf-friendly elements incorporated into the building's design will include diffused lighting that is not glaring, powerful speaker systems to encourage reverberation, telephone access technologies such as video and text relay services, closed captioning, and open flexible classrooms to facilitate visual access. Founded in 1864 in Washington, D.C., Gallaudet University is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. Today, deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students can choose from more than 40 majors leading to a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science Noun 1. Bachelor of Science - a bachelor's degree in science BS, SB bachelor's degree, baccalaureate - an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies degree. A wide array of Masters and doctoral programs are also offered to deaf, hard of hearing and hearing graduate students. MORE ABOUT SMITHGROUP Other current projects by SmithGroup underway or recently completed in the Washington, D.C., area include the University of Maryland University of Maryland can refer to:
Silver Spring is an urbanized, unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. After Baltimore and Columbia, Silver Spring is the third most populous Census Designated Place in Maryland. . SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is an 800-person, international architecture, engineering, interiors, planning and landscape architecture firm specializing in the learning, science and technology, health, workplace, and urban design and planning markets. In addition to its office in Washington, D.C. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; and San Francisco, CA. |
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