Henrietta, N.Y.
DePaul Rochester View Apartments meets the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community in Henrietta, N.Y. It is developed by DePaul Properties.
Designed by SWBR Architects, apartment plans are as open as possible, allowing someone in the kitchen to see the bedroom and bathroom doors, the entrance, and the entire living room. Every apartment has a video phone that includes a connection to a vestibule intercom system. The video phone, the apartment doorbell, and the fire and carbon monoxide alarms are all wired to strobe lights and available bed shakers.
Line of sight is a critical consideration throughout the project. The reception desk, the community room, and the lobby are all connected spatially or with windows. Computer lounges are oriented so users face obliquely to the open walkway, rather than having their backs turned. Wide corridors allow two residents to walk while signing and leave room for a third resident to pass.
DePaul Rochester View has 61 units—33 are for residents earning no more than 50% of the area median income (AMI), and 28 units are for those earning no more than 60% of the AMI. The project is open to other low-income residents, but about 60% of the residents are deaf.