Gallaudet University –
Jordan Student Academic Center

In 2021, Gallaudet University, the world’s only liberal arts university for the deaf and hard of hearing, engaged Fletcher to drive  a program of improvements to the Jordan Student Academic Center (JSAC) to benefit both students and university staff. The goal was to undertake improvements in this multi‑user facility that are accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for Gallaudet’s diverse community.

Fletcher served as Project Manager, guiding the transformation from concept to completion. Our team coordinated the design and construction teams, managed stakeholder engagement, and ensured that the project’s inclusive vision was translated into a functional, code‑compliant facility.

The first was a project designed to transform the existing traditional sex-segregated restrooms on the upper and lower floors of the Jordan Student Academic Center (JSAC) into an inclusive, multi-user facility that is accessible and welcoming to Gallaudet’s diverse student body and faculty which represents different races, genders, religions and abilities.

The result – a new vision that will most definitely have a lasting impact on restroom design. The solution combined the former men’s and women’s spaces into one but separated the functions by two zones: a communal wash station with touchless features, connected to three types of toilet stalls (standard, ADA and caregiving), all equipped with floor-to-ceiling privacy doors and partitions.

Other portions of this project included a new Interfaith Sanctuary – an area open to all religious denominations and those needing a quiet spiritual space, a new and improved Student Marketplace and kitchen, offering a variety of food options with a focus on healthy eating, and the Rathskellar Pub, a place for students to gather, relax and engage with others.

Through disciplined project management, Fletcher delivered a facility that embodies Gallaudet’s commitment to inclusivity while meeting complex design and construction requirements. The result is a forward‑looking model of accessibility and equity in campus infrastructure.