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Modern research and an improved focus on the learning and development of children and adults with special needs has changed the way that architects design buildings for persons with disabilities to live and enjoy life in. Individuals with special needs are fully capable of living functional and normal lives, which nurture their minds, exercise their bodies and intrigues their imagination, when considerations are made regarding the way that these individuals learn and socialize. Purple Cherry Architects, a Special needs architect, creates designs with features that are equally important for the person with disabilities as well as their caregivers and can include considerations such as: personal space, building materials, lighting and sound. Considerations of a Special Needs Architect 1. Personal Space and Boundaries Individuals with special needs require changes to their living and working environments to reinforce the social and personal space that surrounds them. Often times, persons with disabilities run into misunderstandings that lead to conflicts when their space sensitivities are not adequately designed. An architect with a specialty in designing buildings for children and adults with special needs has a full understanding of these potential miscommunications and installs features into the building that address these issues. Corridors and work areas are made wider to avoid crossing boundaries and signs and pathways are colored coded to use as visual cues to help avoid conflict. These considerations come from a greater understanding of how persons with special needs learn, work and socialize best. 2. Building Materials for Structures for Special Needs Settings Designing a building for persons with disabilities is a balance between creating a durable and damage resistant structure, while maintaining a friendly, warm and approachable atmosphere. Individuals with special needs can be prone to accidents and outbursts. The materials used to build these structures have to be tough and the interior must be safe. However, an architect with this specialty will be able to create a building without an institutional feel. Persons with disabilities should feel nurtured and at-home in their care center, and their families and friends should want to visit an inviting atmosphere, not a home that lacks warmth and feeling. 3. Auditory and Visual Sensitivities Persons with special needs can be prone to distraction or bothered by loud sounds and bright lighting. In an environment where the adult or child is learning or working, the building will be designed with no fluorescent lighting and sounds, such as doorbells, will be modified so that the noise is not bothersome. These considerations are only a couple of many which an architect considers when designing a living environment for persons with disabilities. About Purple Cherry Architects Purple Cherry is a special needs architects firm committed to a purposeful mission to create homes and building that enhance the living environments of persons with disabilities and their caregivers. The firm strives to build structures that nurture, inspire and enhance the lives of the children and adults who live in them. For more information visit, Purplecherry. Purple Cherry is a special needs architects firm committed to a purposeful mission to create homes and building that enhance the living environments of persons with disabilities and their caregivers. The firm strives to build structures that nurture, inspire and enhance the lives of the children and adults who live in them. For more information visit, www.purplecherry.com.
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Special Needs Architect, Design for Individuals with Disabilites, Purple Architects, Special Needs Architect,
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