BEYOND THE TANGIBLE

PREFACE

Those designing and investing in affordable housing for our neurodiverse population aspire to produce good quality

homes that improve the residents’ quality of life—or at the very least not induce any negative impacts on residents. It might be assumed that to achieve such an outcome within the building industry there would be a systematic approach to obtaining insights into how residents with various forms of impeded cognitive functioning experience their home; and to understand if or how their homes were impacting on their

well-being. Unfortunately this is not the case. There is a dearth of research exploring how the symptoms of impeded cognitive functioning associated with particular psychological conditions (manifesting as agitation, anxiety, high stress levels, feelings of helplessness, catatonia and the like) can be reduced through responsive accommodation design.

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Typically, forms of accommodation design and development for neurodiverse residents rely on familiar functional

solutions, which are seen as readily complying with budgetary and legislative constraints. Standard procedures involve limited evaluation of the accommodation and even fewer complete post-occupancy evaluations. These

omissions reduce the opportunities for innovation and knowledge building regarding the impacts of design on

residents’ wellbeing, which in turn can be fed forward within the sector.

 

Through this Practice Document DEKS suggests that affordable and relevant housing for our neurodiverse population can be readily produced if there is a willingness to do so. With the support of the home building sector and service providers, designers can deliver a product that can

improve the quality of life of residents.

In this Practice Document DEKS sets out a Model of Practice to assist designers to:

• gain some understanding of impeded cognitive functioning;

• understand how particular design considerations can be embedded in a design process; and

• recognize the importance of evaluating each project.

   

This Practice Document uses research from such fields as environmental psychology, sociology and design, together

with discussions with people with schizophrenia, to show that particular design features in a home can positively

improve the quality of life of people with impeded cognitive functioning. These design features go beyond functional aspects of design related to people’s ability to carry out activities of daily living. It looks at how the less tangible aspects of a home environment can positively contribute to a resident’s well-being. The long-term goal of DEKS is that designers and investors involved in housing will understand the rationale behind this document and the overall process, thereby making all homes more responsive to resident requirements.