In recent years, the value of neurodivergent employees has started to be properly recognized. But we have a long way to go in designing equitable workplaces that nurture different people day-to-day.Inclusive design sometimes involves practical physical interventions, like wheelchair ramps. But for neurodivergent people, the barriers may not even be visible. Many people face sensory obstacles in the built environment.
At the beginning of human history, the built environment looked very different from how it does now. It consisted of caves, huts and temporary dwellings before more permanent structures began to be formed from materials like clay, mudbricks and stone.
Designed by M Moser Associates, the headquarters was conceived as a dynamic “destination” workplace to support GSK’s hybrid teams and evolving business needs. The design brings together localized character with global brand standards, creating a flexible, inclusive, and data-driven environment that empowers collaboration, connection, and performance.
Sensory sensitivity, activity, time of day, occupancy, noise level, visual design and more… How can offices support such wide array of people with so many variables at play? Evan Benway spoke with Jeff Frick about how soundscaping, science and AI can respond to the constantly changing demands of the workplace.
In 1984, Ulrich’s famous study found that patients whose windows faced a park recovered faster compared with those looked onto a brick wall. Since then, many thousands of pieces of research have demonstrated that nature can positively affect human health.
Lighting and acoustics specialists Acoulite have partnered with Moodsonic to bring the scientifically-designed sounds of nature into their Dubai workplace in a new showcase open to industry professionals.
As architects and real estate professionals, your blueprint for an educational space can significantly impact learning, health, and overall wellbeing. This approach goes beyond mere aesthetics; it’s about understanding and designing for sound in spaces too. Let’s explore the potential for biophilic soundscaping in schools and universities.
I invite you to participate in a brief exercise. If nothing else, it will improve your mood. You are likely sitting indoors at a computer, but I want you to allow your imagination to transport you somewhere else, anywhere in the world. Imagine yourself in the place where you feel your optimal self. Envision a place of beauty, a place that makes you feel inspired, at peace, relaxed, fulfilled and full of a sense of wellbeing. What does it look like? What does it smell like? What does it sound like? Now, close your eyes and take a few moments to imagine yourself in this place.
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