We kick off another installment of Architecture Project of the Week with a closer look at the architectural concept for House of Silence (Music for the Deaf) by American University in Dubai student Yasmeen Hussein Mohd Issa. This very unique and special design promotes inclusivity for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community of Dubai by using open space plans, visual stimulus and sensory cues to aid people on a journey of music and sound through this intricate and complex centre.
Dubai is one of the largest and most populous cities in the United Arab Emirates. It is therefore a very loud place thanks to the bustling activities of this modern metropolis. The city houses many entertainment facilities where sound, in particular music, is one of the main features such as theaters, music halls, music events, and music schools. Despite of this, not everyone has the privilege of hearing the rich tapestry of entertainment that this city has to offer. The deaf community in particular cannot enjoy much of the cities entertainment which involves sound and music. House of Silence is therefore a proposal to solve this problem.
House of Silence aims to include and integrate the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by letting them experience sound and music in a way that is unique to the individual. The House of Silence centre is specifically designed to hone in on the other senses with a primary focus on visual stimulus and touch. Where a hearing-able person can experience the world and their surroundings through 360 degrees of perception, a deaf person can only experience what is directly in-front of them. House of Silence tackles this issue of sensory deprivation through thoughtful planning and intuitive design.
The unique architecture of House of Silence is designed to allow deaf people to experience a much wider field of perception. This is achieved through the use of fluid open space planning, walls with transparency and reflective properties, vibrations through floors, and shared sensory reach. There are also a number overlooking slabs situated strategically on multiple levels which start from the ground floor reaching two levels underground. A huge glass façade surrounds the entire building to bring in natural lighting and light tubes are used to both light up the underground levels and act as outdoor garden space.
All this is put together to give deaf people full awareness of their surroundings by opening up a three dimensional world. As stated by Yasmeen Issa, House of Silence is all about “sound and silence and what happens when they meet.” She further believes that the project is “a different type of architecture that suggests experience based not only on one sense but as many as the deaf needs to feel the space and experience music in the right way“.
Be sure to check out our previous architecture projects of the week including Pluralism, Haberdasher Nation, and Urban Farm.
You can learn more about the House Of Silence (Music For The Deaf) project right here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/142096015/House-Of-Silence
Images: House Of Silence – Behance (Yasmeen Issa)