Design Principles for Dementia Environments

Description

This CPD explores the impact of dementia on how individuals perceive and interact with the built environment, helping architects and specifiers create more inclusive and supportive spaces. This CPD provides an introduction to dementia and examines how changes in colour perception, contrast sensitivity and spatial awareness can influence an individual's experience of a building.

You will gain an understanding of the key design principles that contribute to dementia-friendly environments, including the effective use of colour, contrast, wayfinding and visual cues to support independence, orientation and wellbeing. The presentation also highlights practical specification considerations and demonstrates how appropriate finishes and decorative solutions can help deliver environments that are safe, accessible and responsive to the needs of people living with dementia.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the effects of dementia on perception and interaction with the built environment.
• Recognise how colour, contrast and visual cues influence orientation and wellbeing.
• Identify key design principles for creating dementia-friendly spaces.
• Apply practical specification solutions to support inclusive and accessible design outcomes.