Christopher Laing

Chris is keen to facilitate engagement between young members of the Deaf community and the spatial practice industry - hoping to see greater opportunities for the field of architecture to benefit from Deaf peoples’ perspective in the near future.

Chris’s practice interests are grounded in the connection between accessible design and improved public experience. Specifically, the themes of Deaf Space, Accessibility, Ornamentation and the role of the Facade, all feature prominently - with a passion for existing buildings that possess detail and character. Of particular interest are the ways buildings can represent both location and the timeline of history, as well as communicate information about the function, contents or actions that can take place within a space. For instance, Nottingham Contemporary or the Natural History Museum.

His current research focuses on the final project BSL Pavilion and the role that DeafSpace elements and inclusive design have in designing the future, presenting ideas that connect and engage the Deaf community with architecture. The work also seeks to put the needs of our communities first, a drive that seems to resist the dominant attitudes in current practice. The eventual goal of which is to establish a non-hierarchical practice of inclusivity and innovation.

The Museum of the Everyday: BSL Pavilion

My project draws focus to the systematic discrimination of the Deaf Community over the last 25 years, my design will help address the social and political issues that Deaf people encounter both on a daily basis and through history - can design create a better life for the Deaf community? My research has informed my understanding of space, scale and hierarchy - how podia are used within buildings to create an atmosphere or action. This knowledge has influenced my choices regarding how the elements of DeafSpace, BSL Pavillion and Protest will be experienced.

Between 2000 and 2003 the Deaf community held protests, in those three years the ritual of protest forced the government to recognise BSL as a language in its own right, it took 70,000 people in the UK whose preferred language is BSL, for this change to happen.

Since 2003 there has been an increased number of Deaf school and club closures. Our needs are not being met, and rights are being withheld. The community is continuing to protest and march for a BSL Act, which would go beyond simple recognition to give concrete rights within the law. The Deaf community needs a BSL Act to resist the continued discrimination against Deaf people in the workplace, education and society as a whole.

The section exercise enabled me to develop and define a space that meets the needs of the Deaf community. My proposed site is a central London location and is an opportunity to link directly to the many routes of protests. Society needs to recognize our community - we are not invisible.

Archetype - Perspective Section — Carre d’Art by Norman Foster based in France - Nimes. Carre D’art Podium as my case study for producing the section helped me to understand how my ritual fits in the building to help to understand the space for my first term exercise. The Carre d’Art Podium provides an Archetype to meet my project’s aim to demonstrate the Deaf community to society.

A deaf club in the Carré d’Art by Norman Foster in Nîmes, France. The study of the archetype of the podium has informed my understanding of scale, hierarchy and space, and in particular the way in which a clear and simple architectural gesture can stage people’s action and produce a form of gathering and experiencing space together. In the perspective section of the Carré d’Art by Norman Foster, I imagine the museum becoming a deaf club. Through this exercise I could discover the relationship relationship between architectural form and the rituals of the deaf community in their relationship with the city.

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The General Timeline — Campaigns over the years since the Milan Conference have had impact for the Deaf community and we have fought for our rights. This timeline demonstrates all the involved press, marches and meetings with the government involved with Deaf rights over the years.

The March Timeline — This diagrams depicts marches related to the Deaf Community’s fight to gain BSL recognition in 2003. This shows many marches from 1999 - 2003 and significantly fewer subsequent marches. This shows the impact of continued closures of Deaf clubs in the UK - collective spaces to empower the community.

The Protest Route — March routes shows opportunities for Deaf community protest commencing at the BSL Pavilion. This is shown on the blue routes - stop a is Trafalgar Square, stop b - Downing Street and Stop C at Parliament Square before heading back to the BSL Pavilion.

The general timeline. Since the Milan conference of 1880, deaf people have been fighting for their rights and campaigns have had an impact over the years. This timeline demonstrates all the involved press, marches and meetings with the government involving deaf rights over the years.

The march timeline. This diagrams shows the marches related to the deaf community’s fight to gain BSL recognition in 2003. It is remarkable how the number of marches significantly decreased after 2003. This shows the impact of continued closures of Deaf clubs in the UK, which are vital collective spaces that empower the community.

The protest route. The diagram shows a possible march route for Deaf community protests, commencing at the BSL Pavilion and involving Trafalgar Square, Downing Street and Parliament Square before heading back to the BSL Pavilion.

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The Site Plan — The Site is based in Waterloo and my site is located in old Hungerford Car Park next to Jubilee Gardens. The area indicated in pink portrays the BSL Pavillon.

The site chosen for the BSL pavilion (in pink) is strategically placed on the South Bank, next to Waterloo Station and the Jubilee Gardens, and in front of the area of Westminster which hosts most of the key government buildings.

This location, along the South Bank promenade, allows maximum visibility.

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BSL Pavilion - Meet point

The Exterior of the Facade - BSL Pavilion

BSL Pavilion meeting point. The pavilion produces a number of outdoor spaces where the community can meet directly in the public space.

BSL Pavilion Facade. The facade allows maximum accessibility and transparency of the pavilion from the river bank.

The Section — The Section demonstrates activities on the ground floor and rooftop. The BSL Pavilion building is sunk lower than South bank Promenade levels giving better visibility of the rooftop and relationship with the Arches.

The section shows how the pavilion is sunk below the level of the South Bank promenade, articulating a set of activities both on the ground floor and on the rooftop. More than a traditional building the BSL Pavilion is configured as a landscape that collects the flows of the city and turn them into moments of encounter.

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The Ground Floor Plan

The First Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan: Diagrams — The Diagram of Ground Level with circulation and how every area has clear visibility of each space.

The ground floor plan. The ground floor plan is articulated as an archipelago of islands which allow the circulation but also the gathering of different groups of people.

The first floor plan. The first floor plan is a platform inhabited by a number of elements that allow different. outdoor activities to take place.

Ground floor plan: diagrams. The diagram shows the circulation and the clear visibility of each space, which is a crucial aspect for the deaf community.

The Forms — The Architectural Elements studied for DeafSpaces demonstrating these elements are well suited for the Deaf community to sense the full 360 degrees of space around them and provide optimal opportunities for communication with each other throughtout. This means a space can comfortably support a far greater density of concurrent conversations conducted at greater distances in sign language as opposed to speech.

The forms. A set of specific architectural elements have been studied to cater towards the needs of the deaf community.

A key character is the possibility to perceive the full 360 degrees of space around and provide optimal opportunities for communication with each other throughout the whole space. This means a place that can comfortably support a far greater density of encounters and conversations, conducted at greater distances in sign language as opposed to speech.

The Circulation space of BSL Pavilion

The Circulation space of BSL Pavilion ll

Circulation flow. In the interior of the BSL pavilion the circulation between programmatic island is kept as open and fluid as possible to provide a welcoming space for deaf and non-deaf people.

Visual continuity. The use of lower walls allows to subdivide the space and at the same time maintain a visual continuity which favours orientation and communication.

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Liam finds his Deaf Identity — The story of Liam in a struggle to find his identity as a profoundly Deaf person and a visit BSL Pavilion to empower him.

Liam find his deaf identity. Liam struggles to find his identity as a profoundly deaf person, but a visit BSL Pavilion could change the course of his life and empower him as a human being with a place in a community.

Christopher Laing

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Royal College of Art