Abstract

This thesis investigates how DeafSpace principles can be adapted and scaled beyond interior environments to operate effectively within large urban infrastructures. While DeafSpace has been successfully applied in controlled, building-scale contexts, its potential at the scale of sidewalks, transit hubs, and public circulation systems remains underexplored. Contemporary urban environments rely heavily on auditory cues to communicate movement, safety, and orientation, creating barriers for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and limiting clarity for the public at large. Through architectural observation, spatial analysis, and scenario-based evaluation conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology campus and downtown Rochester, this research examines how architectural form, visibility, spatial proportion, and circulation design can function as systems of visual communication. The proposed framework, DeafSpace 2.0, reframes urban infrastructure as an architectural language that prioritizes legibility, predictability, and safety. The findings suggest that extending DeafSpace principles to hybrid urban environments improves navigation and reduces spatial conflict for Deaf and hard of hearing users while simultaneously enhancing usability and clarity for all users.

Publication Date

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Architecture (M.Arch.)

Department, Program, or Center

Architecture, Department of

College

Golisano Institute for Sustainability

Advisor

Julius J. Chiavaroli

Advisor/Committee Member

Seth Holmes

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Download

Share

COinS