A study of the social environment in special schools for the deaf is reported in this publication. The problem was to deinstitutionalize the dormitory environment, and to stimulate an involvement in the surroundings and a sense of personal pride in the children. Research was carried out at the Ontario School for the Deaf, Belleville, with a group of boys aged 16-20. The booklet contains a step-by-step development of a large dormitory space from its initial open plan to a series of segmented, individual areas. Isometric drawings and photographs illustrate the development. (KK)