Trauma-Informed Design within Learning Disabilities Environments

Trauma Informed Design considers the psychological effects that past traumatic experiences can have on a person and assists in creating spaces that take those effects into consideration. Developed alongside Trauma Informed Care, it shares many of its principles, namely safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and cultural consideration. Understanding the psychological impact of trauma enables us to mitigate triggers in the environment and to enhance healing and safety opportunities by careful consideration of how the environment is designed and engaged with.

The aim of this design brief is to form a framework for Trauma-Informed Design that can be applied to both new build and existing properties by combining the disciplines of psychology and architecture. Trauma Informed Design (TID) interlinks housing and health & well-being to assist people who have suffered trauma with their healing process.

At the broadest level, Trauma-Informed design aims to promote healing and improved physical health, mental health, and overall well-being of individuals and their communities.

Shopworks Architecture, Group 14 Engineering, & University of Denver Center for Housing and Homelessness Research created three key concepts of Trauma Informed design: Choice, Community and Comfort.

The 3 C’s are fundamental to the recommendations of the design brief and when looking at the different individual physical elements the overall aim will be to create a building that enhances the 3 C’s.

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