Housing
Housing
Sensory processing
Environmental noise is an issue for many neurodivergent people, due to the anxiety and distress it causes due to hypersensitivity to sound. It can also impact relationships with neighbours if adults or children exhibit repetitive adaptive behaviours( pacing, jumping, banging and shouting), due to noise transmission between properties. Residents have described how this can impact on maintaining relationships with neighbours. Thermal comfort for these residents is another key priority due to the limited ability of many to tolerate extremes of temperature or understand how to make adaptations. Neurodivergent residents could also experience sensory overload from smell of food preparation, visual clutter and tactile stimuli. There are different design strategies to address these key issues at design and construction stage.
Sensory processing Issues and adaptive behaviours
Design strategies
Acoustic Hypersensitivity to domestic sounds, food preparation, mechanical extractors, washing machines.
Visual
Thermal comfort
Hypersenstivity to external noise, traffic, car alarms, sirens and noise from neighbouring properties.
Self-regulating behaviours, including shouting, banging, jumping and pacing, can disturb neighbours and impact relationships.
Hypersensitivity to strong visual stimuli can cause confusion, disorientation and distress. Triggers might include:
• Glare from south-facing windows.
• Glare from light sources.
• Glare from shiny surfaces.
• Flickering lights.
• Strongly contrasting patterns.
• Visual clutter.
Limited ability to regulate temperature. Distress and agitation from overheating.
• Ensure satisfactory levels of sound insulation to construction of walls and floors to protect against sound within dwelling and between neighbouring dwellings.
• Ensure good acoustic conditions from ventilation system operation and conceal extractors to minimise noise.
• Install acoustic glazing in windows to reduce noise transmission.
• Specify absorbant materials for flooring to muffle sound and prevent noise transmission( eg. cushioned vinyl flooring or carpet).
• Specify dimmable and warm LED lights that can be tailored to meet individual preferences.
• Provide built-in storage that can reduce clutter.
• Provide integral blinds to reduce glare from natural light.
• Design rooms with indirect light.
• Avoid strongly contrasting patterns in wall coverings and furnishings.
• Avoid large areas of shiny surfaces that cause reflection and glare.
• Use muted colours in interior decor.
• Prioritise dual aspect layouts that maximise options for natural ventilation.
• Provide integral blinds that maximise solar gain.
• Provide external shading.
• Maximise purge ventilation through vents adjacent to windows that maximise ventilation without increasing noise by opening windows.
• Maximise purge ventilation through a mechanical extract ventilation system( MVHR) which should meet the maximum permitted noise levels as required from Building Regulation Part F: Ventilation.
Tactile |
Hypersensitivities to tactile stimuli. |
• Specify slip-resistent flooring( eg rubber or vinyl flooring) in wet areas.
• Specify soft surfaces and smooth curves.
• Specify eco-friendly materials( eg linen, cotton, bamboo and corn).
|
Smell
Hypersensitivity to odours – intolerance of smells from food preparation.
• Separate kitchen and dining areas from living areas or provide flexible options such as sliding doors or hatches.
• Provide a retreat space that can be used to consume food away from the kitchen / dining space.
Figure three: Sensory processing: issues and design solutions
September 2025 OTnews 15