SFS Architecture, a full-service architecture, interior design and planning firm founded in Kansas City, Missouri, is behind much of the planning efforts for the new Thompson Center building. By understanding the unique ways neurodiverse individuals perceive and interact with the world, SFS has been able to move beyond basic accommodations and design environments that enhance their quality of life and foster deeper connections within their communities.

Neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with ASD, are often highly sensitive to their surroundings and can easily become over- or understimulated by sounds, lighting, textures, temperature, and even the perception of their body in space. By being intentional in the design of sensory environments, architects can reduce the negative impact that undesirable stimulation has on them and can fine-tune their environment so that it positively affects their experience.

Informed by their work for the new Thompson Center, SFS Architecture released a white paper on designing for neurodiverse individuals, Design for Inclusion: Neurodiversity in Architecture. Click here to download the full white paper.