Author:

Keywords:

KUL-EC-LAuRes

Abstract:

Research has shown that the built environment holds the potential to offer autistic people something to hold on to or structure their reality. Nevertheless, designing for them remains challenging because concepts from design guidelines concerning autism can counteract each other and cannot be used straightforwardly. This study aims to gain insight into housing design for autistic people from two perspectives. From architects’ perspective, we explored what design strategies they use when designing housing for autistic people. From autistic users’ perspective, we explored the role of the built environment in their lived experience. From a group home targeting autistic resident, we interviewed three architects who designed the project and investigated the lived experience of eight autistic residents there. Results showed that architects’ primary design strategies relate to the built environment’s sensory aspects. This finding reflects the prominent focus of existing guidelines to design for autism. However, in autistic residents’ lived experience, not only the sensory perception of the built environment is essential. Functional and intangible aspects of a space are important, too—the two latter aspects relate to how a space works and what space means for them. In gaining a better understanding of autistic residents’ lived experience, the findings challenge the existing design guidelines and broaden the understanding of the role of the built environment in relation to autism.