Tennessee School for the Deaf High School and Dining Hall

Designed to meet the unique needs of deaf students, the new high school for the Tennessee School for the Deaf (TSD) in South Knoxville is focused on improving the overall experience and opportunities for students and staff. The classrooms offer collaborative spaces that focus on sight lines, incorporating numerous design features that improve the space for communicating in sign language. Some of these features include maximizing daylight, minimizing glare and emphasizing acoustical design for students with cochlear implants.

The program for the high school also includes post-secondary preparation and work-based learning opportunities for students that include administrative assistance, a school store, and a cafe that serves food prepared by the culinary arts program that reside in the dining hall.

Also included in the project was construction of a separate dining hall that serves up to 250 for dining and up to 500 for other special events. The dining hall includes an outdoor patio for eating and socializing that overlooks the pedestrian quadrangle.