Noise does matter when designing a school for deaf children. Universal design should be for all abilities Marcus is an Architect and Managing Principal of Mackey Mitchell Architects in downtown St. Louis. He has dedicated years of his career to mastering the design of learning spaces, from birth through higher education, and spanning all levels of human ability. Through his design work at Mackey Mitchell and his own volunteer and research work, Marcus has collaborated with over 20 different organizations that offer services for people with a wide range of developmental needs.

His research and design work have been published widely and presented at national and international conferences. In 2014 he collaborated in a joint research project with clinical faculty from Saint Louis University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, to study low-cost ideas for classroom improvements at an elementary school in North St. Louis City. Later that year, he co-presented that work at the American Speech-Language Hearing Association’s National Conference with his wife Angela, who is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinic Coordinator at SLU.

Marcus has long used his knowledge and experience to advocate for public policy in support of people with developmental needs. In 2009, he was recruited by ASHA and the US Access Board’s Policy Committee to deliver a US Congressional Briefing on classroom acoustics, in support of the 21st Century High-Performing Green Schools Act.

Born in Missouri and raised in St. Louis, Marcus received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame in 1994. He and Angela live in St. Louis Hills with their three children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx