Neuro-adaptive design: how smart tech can be the bridge between inclusivity and flexibility

Tailoring workplaces for neurodivergent employees is essential for retaining top science talent.

Fiona Du Fresne and Alex Burchett at Ridge explain how a neuro-adaptive approach uses smart building technology to support users, while keeping spaces flexible.

Attracting the brightest minds is critical to the success of science organisations. Increasingly employers are realising that means making workplaces comfortable for people who are neurodivergent, a spectrum of conditions that includes autism, ADHD and dyslexia.

Rates of neurodivergence are much higher in the science and technology sectors than among the general population. It is estimated that 15-20% of UK adults are neurodivergent, but among the science organisations we work with, up to 70% of their workforce may identify in this way. Creating a supportive environment is essential for keeping those employees happy and enabling them to do their best work.

There are many aspects of the workplace that can be challenging for neurodivergent users: noise, temperature, lighting and overcrowding are the most frequent complaints. But everyone is different and no two people have exactly the same needs. They may prefer high or low stimulation environments, or different things at different times.

Best practice design involves creating zones with different sensory qualities, making them clear and legible, and giving occupants choice and control.

Creating “neuro-neighbourhoods”

In laboratories, there are important technical and safety considerations that determine lighting, noise and temperature levels. But across the rest of the floorplate, we can break the space up to create different “neuro-neighbourhoods” where sensory conditions are tuned for different activities.

These range from louder breakout and collaboration spaces, to quiet retreat rooms to regulate and reset. In the middle, open-plan write-up areas can be designed for day-to-day group working, and meeting pods and cellular offices for focused concentration.

The key is to make all of them distinct and legible, and to empower people to choose the space that suits them best.

Zoning vs flexibility

Dividing a floorplate into zones can run counter to conventional design wisdom. Flexibility is a key building requirement in a fast-changing sector, and the easiest way to achieve that is with a single, open-plan space. The problem is that this often fails to meet any single need.

Our solution is an approach we call “neuro-adaptive design”, which deploys smart building technologies to tailor spaces to sensory requirements in real time.

For example, we can give people the ability to adjust the temperature, lighting and acoustic dampening in their location via their devices, or to programme one-touch modes for brainstorming, reviewing or learning. With Bluetooth mapping, their settings can be applied automatically as they move through the building.

Displaying occupancy levels on screens or via app indicators allows them to see at a glance which areas of the building are busy, and choose whether to engage socially. With predictive noise management, sensors detect rising noise levels and respond with active sound damping or by pushing alerts to occupants in the space.

Smart technologies bring another layer of flexibility, on top of the original design. A neuro-adaptive building isn’t just inclusive, it’s constantly learning and feeding back, responding to the needs of users as they change throughout the day and over time. This is another important type of flexibility: as awareness of neurodivergence grows and diagnoses increase, an increasing number of people are recognising their own sensitivities and seeking supportive working environments.

Data-driven building management

This does not necessarily require additional equipment. In many buildings, smart technologies such as occupancy sensors and intelligent lighting and ventilation controls have already been installed to reduce operational costs. There is a huge opportunity to extend existing capabilities to improve employee comfort.

Over time, a neuro-adaptive approach also provides valuable data for building managers and owners. As the building management system learns users’ preferences and patterns, it will be able to identify spaces that are unpopular or underused, and enable facilities teams and designers to dig into potential causes and improvements.

A neuro-adaptive campus

The importance of zoning, legibility and control applies at every scale, from a single unit to a campus masterplan.

Where there isn’t room to include different zones within each unit, we can include shared amenities such as centralised quiet rooms that all tenants can access. Connecting with nature has been shown to be particularly helpful for emotional regulation, so we design in walking trails and other outdoor spaces to allow people to break away without having to go too far.

Clear signage and wayfinding is essential – but even better, a digital twin of a campus allows people to plan and visualise their route through the site, so they know what to expect and their first day feels more like their second.

Technology can never replace good design: it’s an enabling layer, not a standalone solution. But at Ridge, we are finding that it can make an enormous difference to how neurodivergent people experience the workplace – and that’s becoming an increasingly important differentiator for our clients in the competition for talent.

Let's talk

Fiona Du Fresne is an architect and Associate Partner in the Science team at Ridge, involved in masterplanning and architectural design for science parks and research hubs. Contact her at fionadufresne@ridge.co.uk

Alex Burchett is a building services engineer and Senior Associate at Ridge, involved in establishing campus masterplanning and the design and delivery of tenant fit-out projects for science parks and research hubs. Contact him at alexburchett@ridge.co.uk