Linda Kafka, WELL AP, principal of Livable Environment and founder of the NeuroDesign Academy, talked to KBB all about neurodesign and how it might apply to our industry’s projects. She believes in understanding how to personally design spaces, which is especially important for neurodivergent individuals, such as those with ADHD or who are on the autism spectrum.
Kafka says there are about one million Americans with a cognitive disability, and neurodesign’s goal is to create spaces that offer a sense of belonging for them and that cater to how they emotionally respond to these spaces. Designers need to have a basic understanding of these people’s needs and should align with specialists in this arena. These experts can help design professionals craft the appropriate questions to ask before they begin these kinds of projects.
Kafka says parents of neurodivergent children are usually open to talking about how to create environments that meet the needs of everyone in the home. She explained that designing for neurodiversity is becoming more widely accepted and much more mainstream. Spaces today need to function for all types of people and need to be much more inclusive.
Kafka shared some examples of how a designer may create a kitchen or bath for someone who is neurodivergent, including those with light sensitivity so they can develop the correct lighting plan for a space. Other may be sensitive to sound, where a reduction of acoustics would be beneficial.
Most designers believe in always learning to further their level of expertise for themselves and their clients. Design for neurodivergent individuals is important to add to your list of specialties. It can help you stand apart from your peers, and it can also keep you from creating a space that doesn’t serve your neurodivergent clients.
“It’s not just about creating beautiful environments but also creating those we emotionally connect to and that really allow us to thrive and be productive,” explained Kafka.
She founded the NeuroDesign Academy to make knowledge and programming on this topic more available to our industry.
“The academy can help validate what you do and can also give you a new language and new information that you might not have had access to,” said Kafka.
By Chelsie Butler
