Wednesday, June 1st was a monumental occasion for the 25 high school students of the 2011 graduating class at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Not only did these 25 students make up one of the largest graduating classes in this school's history, but they were the first class ever to accept their diplomas in the newly completed auditorium. While several changes were made to the original design during construction, and it took significant effort from all involved parties to complete the project in time for the event, the reward of watching those students walk across the stage to accept their diplomas made it well worth the effort.

The construction administration of five campus buildings, including the auditorium, was transitioned to GSC Architects in March of 2010. When building a school of this type, the finishes play an integral part for people who have limited or no vision. An example of how we used finishes to assist in way-finding can be seen in the floor finishes that were selected. We added carpet at all of the auditorium aisles and main walking areas to help those with canes better find their way around the room. Also, we used sealed concrete in all the seated areas to make it easy to clean.

Another example of the importance of finishes used in a project of this type are those used at stage in the auditorium. GSC Architects were advised by the school administration that the stage needed to have contrasting colors at the edges so those with limited vision could better see the edge of the stage. In response to their concerns, we changed the maple trim that matched the stage to a solid walnut trim at the stage's edge, stair nosings and handrails. By doing this, we made the stage safer for the students while also making it an aesthetic accent in the auditorium.

One last example of a modification we made to the auditorium was changing the seating from movable to fixed seating. We added approximately 60 extra seats to the auditorium with the fixed seat configuration. This was especially useful for Wednesday afternoon at the graduation, as there was only standing room available by the time the commencement started.

As with any project, all parties involved must be diligent in order to meet the completion schedule; especially when there are changes made during construction. A successful project completion usually makes this well worth the effort. However, for this project, the real reward was seen on the faces of the campus administration, board members, guests and, most notably, the students who were at graduation, and that is one reward will not be soon forgotten.