How Neurodiversity-Informed Design Creates Stronger Schools, Published in Building Enclosure Magazine

In an article published in Building Enclosure Magazine, Spiezle Principal Scott Downie discusses how the critical intersection of neurodiversity and school design helps ensure comfortable and adaptable learning environments. He outlines practical strategies that schools should be aware of, including sensory-focused design adjustments needs such as acoustic considerations and quiet zones, lighting modification, and color balance, that aid in better engagement outcomes for both students and teachers from day one.

“Neurodiversity affirming design expands optionality within the learning environment and the ability to adapt to a user’s sensory balance from day one,” said Downie. “The creation of educational spaces that successfully engage a neurodiverse audience benefits from the design team recognizing the ‘client’ as not only the decision-makers, but also the broad diversity of today’s and tomorrow’s students and faculty.”

Features such as a mixture of low and high windows to allow for user-controlled daylight or color balance between bright and neutral tones to provide students with visual variation, allows designers to address neurodiversity needs while aligning environments, activities, and comfort for diverse users. Furniture also has a major impact on the success of a neurodiversity-affirming space.

“Furniture can be tested and tried in advance – a design opportunity not to be overlooked,” said Downie. “No environment is perfect but designing more diverse and adaptable educational environments means we are adapting the building to the client, not the other way around.”

To read the story in full, click here.