Washington School for the Deaf Vancouver building, Skanska WSD Washington education facility design images

Washington School for the Deaf, Vancouver, WA

November 25, 2025

Architects: Mithun

Location: Washington School for the Deaf (WSD), 611 Grand Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661, United States of America

Photos: Lara Swimmer

Washington School for the Deaf, Vancouver, Washington, USA

Project Description

Mithun, in collaboration with Skanska, designed the Washington School for the Deaf’s campus expansion around a deeply research-driven framework that centers DeafSpace principles, community-led engagement, and findings from the firm’s Building Better Schools R+D study. Together, these tools shaped an environment that is sensory-rich, socially connected, and fundamentally grounded in the lived experience of deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Mass timber is utilized throughout the new academic and athletic buildings to create a warm, natural ambiance and support superior acoustic performance. Applying insights from Mithun’s Building Better Schools research, the team leveraged this material to reduce embodied carbon, improve daylighting, and cultivate a calm, home-like learning environment that reduces stress and encourages engagement.

At the heart of the project are DeafSpace principles, which informed every aspect of the design. The campus incorporates low-glare glazing, glass corners, and floor-to-ceiling windows that maximize visibility, natural light, and clear sightlines—critical for a community where communication is primarily visual.

Wide, gradual steps allow students and staff to comfortably maintain signed conversations as they move through the campus. Classrooms were highly tuned and paired around project-based learning labs, using 180-degree, U-shaped seating to enhance ASL/English bilingual instructional practices and support learning in conversation.

The WSD campus buildings also integrate sensory cues that extend students’ awareness and support multiple modes of communication. Strategically placed light switches allow teachers to gain attention through subtle light changes, while specially designed carpets help convey vibrations across rooms. Intentional acoustic vibrations throughout the campus broaden students’ sensory reach, reinforcing the idea that communication is embodied, spatial, and shared.

The design process itself was shaped by deep community participation. Deaf-led workshops, student input, and staff collaboration guided major design decisions, ensuring the campus expansion met educational goals while honoring Deaf culture and fostering a strong sense of belonging. These collective voices helped advance transparency, connectivity, and spatial equity across the campus.

The new Washington School for the Deaf campus embodies an inclusive, empowering, and culturally affirming environment where students can thrive—socially, physically, and academically—while celebrating their identity, community, and language. Through the integration of research-based tools, inclusive design processes, and thoughtful material strategies, Mithun demonstrates how architecture can expand sensory access, support wellbeing, and elevate the Deaf experience.

Washington School for the Deaf, Vancouver, Washington State – Building Information

Project Title: Washington School for the Deaf
Location: Vancouver, WA
Architect / Interior Designer: Mithun
Completed: 2024
Collaborator: Design-Build with Skanska

Size: 50,500 sf; 19.3 acres
Program: 36,000 sf Divine Academic Building, including administration, project-based learning embedded classrooms and library media center; 14,500 sf Hunter Gymnasium and outdoor field

Photographs: Lara Swimmer

Washington School for the Deaf, Vancouver, Washington State images / information received from mithun architects

Location: Washington School for the Deaf, 611 Grand Blvd, Vancouver Washington, United States of America.