Building A Kind City for Those with Autism
The built environment can be a friendlier place for those with autism – here's how
April may be Autism Awareness Month, a time when organisations and individuals help to raise awareness about autism among the general population, but it’s an issue for every month. As designers and architects, how does autism awareness affect the work you do? We may not think that we can make a difference, but for a moment, let’s dream a little and believe that design can, and will, make a difference in the lives of those with autism.
Can we literally build a kind city? Other than displaying compassion and understanding as human beings towards those with autism, can the spaces we occupy be kind as well?
Can we literally build a kind city? Other than displaying compassion and understanding as human beings towards those with autism, can the spaces we occupy be kind as well?
What does it mean for the built environment to be kind? It can simply be, in layman’s terms, less scary and more friendly. Even among the neurotypical population, a long white corridor of identical doors can spark confusion and anxiety to an individual. A room without windows, lit only by overhead fluorescent lights, becomes intolerable to be in after a while.
Autism represents a whole spectrum of symptoms and conditions and it can be challenging to put a finger on what exactly makes a design ‘friendlier’. For one, we can make the environment friendlier to the autistic person’s sensory processing. While this is not part of the diagnostic criteria, it is observed that many people with autism process sensory information quite differently from the main population and tend to be over- or under-sensitive to external stimuli, such as light, sound, temperature, and textures.
When designing the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Center for Autism & the Developing Brain in 2013, the team from daSILVA Architects had to transform an old gymnasium to a child- and autism-friendly facility. One of the things they tackled was the acoustics. Besides fitting out each room with sound dampening panels and flooring, the team even moved all of the building’s air conditioners and boilers to another part of the building to further reduce the amount of sound.
When designing the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Center for Autism & the Developing Brain in 2013, the team from daSILVA Architects had to transform an old gymnasium to a child- and autism-friendly facility. One of the things they tackled was the acoustics. Besides fitting out each room with sound dampening panels and flooring, the team even moved all of the building’s air conditioners and boilers to another part of the building to further reduce the amount of sound.
Secondly, we can also make the environment friendlier for self-regulation. Individuals with autism are known to need space and time to calm down and ‘reset’ when they have trouble regulating their emotions or when the environment is overstimulating. Even in a sensory-friendly world where lights do not flicker, tyres do not squeak, and new T-shirts do not come with a scratchy tag, there are other things that cannot be controlled and emotions that can go into disarray. What the environment can offer in this case, is a safe place for the person to ‘reset’.
At Kindle Garden, touted as Singapore’s first inclusive preschool for children of all abilities, the environment is designed with open spaces for flexible classroom configurations and small cosy nooks for quiet moments. Even in mainstream classrooms, having a corner sectioned off for quiet reading can be helpful for a student who needs some time away from the main activity of the classroom. Perhaps we can consider how this can be applied to more places.
The design of The Caterpillar’s Cove (pictured above and below), a preschool located within a research institute, by Lekker Architects, was based on the concept of the environment being the “third teacher”, where learning environments are able to draw attention, evoke curiosity, and encourage communication. Columns have been reimagined as trees, banked steps provide ample space for tumbling around, and the observation room for trainee teachers is set as the garden shed in this farmyard-themed space.
The design of The Caterpillar’s Cove (pictured above and below), a preschool located within a research institute, by Lekker Architects, was based on the concept of the environment being the “third teacher”, where learning environments are able to draw attention, evoke curiosity, and encourage communication. Columns have been reimagined as trees, banked steps provide ample space for tumbling around, and the observation room for trainee teachers is set as the garden shed in this farmyard-themed space.
Where the environment is seen to play an important role in our everyday lives, there is no doubt that the built environment can make a difference in the lives of those with autism. Due to unique challenges faced by each individual on the spectrum, there are conflicting opinions on how best to design for autism. Despite this, we can follow a few basic principles, which are not too different from the principles of good design. How does the space feel to the occupant and user? How is the space usable and accessible? As designers and architects, the impact of your designs and buildings is felt not just by the users, but has the ability to affect change in society. Let’s build a kind city.
TELL US
What are other features of autism-friendly design? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
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TELL US
What are other features of autism-friendly design? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
MORE
The Rise of Architecture That is Good for You: Biophilic Design