Whispering Walls

Here's my latest architectural studio project. I designed a training facility for the visually impaired and their guide dogs together with fellow student Katie Gillis.

The city is the domain of people, just as the park is the domain of dogs. For blind persons and their guide dogs, working together is required in order to navigate these urban spaces. Pathways breaking through the building connect the training facility to Patterson’s Creek Park and the urban fabric of Ottawa. Inside the building, these pathways are lined with walls of “anti-window” acoustic channels, emphasizing the use of acoustics rather than sight as a way-finding technique for the blind. Clerestory windows bring in light, while windows along the bottom of the walls create views for, and of, the dogs. At head level, between upper and lower glazing, are the concave acoustic panels, channeling sound along the hallway to create a whisper gallery effect. This effect continues into the atrium, where the pathways meet and tangle with each other in a space where the concave shape focuses sound to the ground floor, the largest and most celebrated space. Dog training happens at the park level, with access to the ground level paths of the park, through a fenced-in outdoor training area. At street level, the most public programming can be found, the grooming facilities and the veterinary clinic. These are open to the public, and will raise awareness of the training facility to the public. The second floor houses facilities dedicated to the people staying at the facility. A gym, pool, nurse’s station, shared kitchen, dining, and laundry are dedicated to the wellness of the occupants, and provide a common space for socializing. For privacy, short-term housing is located on the top floor. Each occupant has their own suite to live in with their matched dog, and all suites open up to a shared balcony facing the park.

Physical model

An exploration of the acoustical properties of materials