March 30, 2021
For more than a century, Syracuse University has been empowering and supporting those who’ve served in defense of the nation. The new Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building will be home to the work done by the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) and is testament to their ongoing commitment to veterans and military-connected students. It represents an unprecedented commitment by Syracuse University to cultivate and lead innovative academic, government, and community collaborations, with the aim of advancing the social, economic, and wellness concerns of veterans and military families.
Jules Lauve, project manager, explains how this facility will serve as the center of veteran life, not just on campus, but also within the local community and across Central New York. “This is a really important addition to the campus—it’ll be a true community gathering space, offering programming, training, events, and other academic and vocational initiatives.”
The design team for the facility, led by SHoP Architects,
knew that creating an accessible environment for the users of this facility
would be paramount to its success. Together, we designed the entire building to
be accessible and inclusive for its users and the community. Theatre Projects
collaborated with SHoP Architects on the design and technology for the
auditorium and rooftop parade grounds. And Andy Smith from Boyce Nemic Designs worked
as a sub-consultant for Theatre Projects on the audiovisual and technology
systems in the building.
The heart of the building is a 938-seat auditorium designed for
TED talks, lectures, presentations, and military band performances. Accessible
seating positions have been designed to be an integral part of the room allowing
for seating in a variety of locations in the space—the majority of the front
row, cross-aisle, and the back row of the parterre all have seats that can be
removed and all box seats on both levels are completely wheelchair accessible.
We included more than double the required number of designated aisle seats
(seats located on the aisle, where the arms flip up to provide unimpeded access
to the seat) in both the orchestra and balcony levels. There’s also increased
space between seating rows to allow people with ambulatory disabilities to move
around more easily as well as 30-inch bariatric seating to accommodate patrons
who need a little extra space while they’re seated. Circulation between the two
levels in the room is provided via ramps and elevators (with additional lobby
space at the primary access points to the balcony). And there are also quiet
spaces available so those with sensory sensitivities to light, sound, or crowds
can participate in events in a more comfortable environment.
But the accessibility of the venue isn’t limited to room layout
and design. Technology is used to support and enhance the user experience, too—from
an assistive listening system to two CART (Communication Access Real-time
Translation) displays flanking the performance area that provide live
captioning at events for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees. Between the two
CART displays is a 32’ x 18’ self-luminous LED video wall behind the presenter
platform that is unaffected by the level of light in the room, so even with the
lights on full, the content on the screen is vibrant and saturated.
We also designed an electronic architecture system to add versatility
within the auditorium for different event types. The client anticipated that
some events, such as veteran ceremonies, would need to be recorded and
broadcast for later viewing, so there was an emphasis on video production capabilities
as well as consideration for accommodating outside broadcasters. We provided a
permanent wiring solution to allow planned positions to connect with the
loading dock and outside broadcasting vans as well as a cable pass system to
enable broadcasters to provide their own, temporary wiring.
With no attic space or catwalks for front-of-house lighting
positions, we designed two self-climbing truss that allow easy maintenance
access to the lighting fixtures by lowering them to the floor. Equipment
designer, Andrew Hagan, says “we’ve used the self-climbing truss solution
before in a number of our projects, but these were particularly unique because
they’re curved (and not straight!) to integrate into the architecture of the
ceiling—so not only are they functional, they also look really good!”