Building Design + Construction - October 2019

8 | BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION | October 2019

Scientists are learn-

ing more about the

natural range of variation in

human cognition. Investiga-

tions have given rise to the

concept of “neurodiversity,” for

people who aren’t neurotypical

and function under conditions

such as autism spectrum

disorder, attention defi cit syn-

drome, dyslexia, and Tourette

syndrome. An estimated

15-20% of people are what’s

known as “neurodivergent.”

And even among people who

are considered neaurotypical,

25% will experience a men-

tal health challenge such as

depression or stress.

This presents obstacles

to businesses that want to

create a welcoming offi ce

environment for neurodiverse

workers who often pos-

sess exceptional talents

that can be derailed or

made less effi cient by

certain visual or aural

distractions.

HOK has released

a 22-page report

titled “Designing

a Neurodiverse

Workplace.” Its

general premise

favors inclusive

design that, instead

of trying to choose

or change people to

fi t their environment, an

organization can get the

right people for its needs—

and simultaneously help them

live more fulfi lling lives—by

changing the environment to

welcome all those people who

offer special talents.

AUTISM-INCLUSIVE OFFICES

One of the experts who

participated in the report

is Gearoid Kearney, CEO of

myAccessHub, which uses

virtual reality and eLearning to

educate employees and build

autism-inclusive workplaces.

“Ask the neurodiverse what

works and what doesn’t, and

include them in the decision

making,” advises Caroline

Turner, Founder and Managing

Director of Creased Puddle, a

neurodivergent consultancy.

“Don’t let fear be a barrier.”

HOK’s report draws from the

fi rm’s projects, professional

and scientifi c literature, and

interviews with thought lead-

ers and medical professionals

to provide a blueprint for how

design can play a role in creat-

ing a neurodiverse workplace

that improves workers’ access

to opportunities, reinforces

organizational values, and

facilitates business success.

HOK’s thesis is that offi ces

need to be designed with more

options that can sync with indi-

viduals’ neurological wiring.

“Neurodiverse thinkers

often can be over- or under-

stimulated by factors in their

environment such as lighting,

sound, texture, smells, tem-

perature, air quality, or overall

sense of security. One of the

most effective ways to design

for diversity is to provide

choices,” the report states.

HOK breaks down its recom-

mendations into spatial organi-

zation and character, acoustic

quality, thermal conform,

lighting, and degrees of stimu-

lation. Each is illustrated by

specifi c workplace examples.

The report points out, for

example, that thermal comfort

consistently ranks on work-

place surveys as one of the

top environmental irritants.

Researchers have found that

it has a signifi cant impact on

productivity. One solution is to

provide individual temperature

controls, such as an oper-

able window or air diffuser, to

enable workers to adjust their

thermal environment.

Ultimately, the report con-

tends, the opportunity for staff

to have a measure of control

over their exposure to an

offi ce’s temperature, lighting,

noise, proximity to coworkers,

colors, and patterns can go

a long way toward providing a

setting that can accommodate

a fuller cognitive spectrum.

BDCnetwork.com/HOKreport

| NEWS+TRENDS | By John Caulfi eld, Senior Editor, and Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor

National nonresidential

construction spending

(seasonally adjusted an-

nualized basis), as of July

2019, up 0.1% compared

to July 2018, but down

0.3% on a monthly basis,

according to the U.S. Cen-

sus Bureau.

Public nonresidential

spending increased 0.4%

for the month and 4.3% for

the year. Private nonresi-

dential spending decreased

0.8% on a monthly basis

and 2.7% on a yearly basis.

BDCnetwork.com/July2019spending

The total cost in lost pro-

ductivity and wasted gasoline

for the U.S. economy due to

gridlock and worsening traffi c,

according to the Texas A&M

Transportation Institute’s 2019

Urban Mobility Report. The

report examined conditions

in 494 urban areas across all

states and Puerto Rico.

Possible remedies include

more roads and mass transit,

and reducing demand through

telework. Adjusting work hours

to better balance demand and

roadway capacity, and smarter

land use policies could also

provide relief.

BDCnetwork.com/UrbanMobilityReport

$

166 billion

$

776

billion

HOK REPORT FOCUSES ON DESIGNING OFFICES

FOR THE ‘NEURODIVERSE’ WORKFORCE

The way an offi ce is

designed can be a big factor in

the productivity of workers who

fall within the range of neurodi-

vergent cognition, according to

a new HOK report.