Applying TID principles to a project may seem straightforward at first glance: incorporate soft spaces for comfort, ensure security and privacy, and design clear pathways for trauma victims within the facility. However, creating a truly trauma-informed facility—one that fosters a net-zero traumatic response—requires a deeper shift in perspective. At times, the process may seem counterintuitive to the way we have learned about architecture and design.
To achieve this, we must first recognize that trauma manifests in countless ways and impacts individuals across all demographics. No one is exempt. As an example, 25% of domestic abuse cases involve men. Men, women, and children process trauma in different ways. Understanding these dynamics demands that we reevaluate our assumptions, broaden our perspective, and focus on the entire human experience. It’s a process that challenges us to unlearn old habits, adapt to new insights, and innovate for a more inclusive and compassionate approach to design.
This article examines the application of Trauma-Informed Design (TID) principles across various design phases, utilizing the SPACe model from “Designing Trauma-Informed Spaces.”
Test Fitting Program Against TID Principles
The programming phase might not initially seem like the ideal stage for applying TID principles. However, it serves as an opportunity to assess TID needs early, enabling informed and effective decisions in later phases. To effectively integrate TID into this phase, consider the following approach:
Unlearn: To successfully apply TID, we must move beyond conventional metrics for programming spaces and challenge traditional notions of efficiency and design. This involves reevaluating established approaches, such as relying solely on spreadsheets with recommended square footage calculations and circulation factors. Along with color choices and the selection of artwork, ways to safely incorporate concepts related to biophilia should also be considered.
Adapt: This is an ideal point to integrate the SPACe application into the process. Does the program address Safety, Privacy, Accessibility, Control, and Efficiency? Carefully evaluate how each space interacts with others, determining whether the space allocations effectively support individuals who have experienced specific types of trauma. Pay close attention to whether typical spatial adjacencies could provoke a trauma response.
Innovate: Initiating test-fit studies early in the programming phase ensures the program aligns with the SPACe criteria, fostering a design that is thoughtful, supportive, and responsive to user needs. This process also provides an opportunity to redefine concepts like privacy. Perceptions of privacy can differ significantly based on personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and values. By actively listening to the concerns and preferences of trauma victims and staff, you can incorporate their needs seamlessly into the programming process, creating meaningful, user-centered solutions that address the TID challenges.
Building Footprint and Massing
Unlearn: Architects often strive to create a grand gesture with the design of an entrance or the scale of a structure, incorporating features such as bold extrusions and expansive glass facades to establish a commanding presence within the community. These elements need to be carefully considered and scaled to meet the target population’s real and probable perceptions.
Adapt: While these elements can symbolize openness and prominence, it is essential to consider how such design choices might be perceived by individuals who have experienced trauma. For example, a grand gesture, if overly imposing, may feel confining, while expansive glass surfaces might leave individuals feeling overly exposed or vulnerable. Similarly, a building that appears excessively large or intimidating may evoke discomfort or unease by creating a looming effect, fostering feelings of being overwhelmed or isolated.
Innovate: Trauma-informed design requires a careful balance between making a visual statement and addressing human emotional responses. Structures with lower profiles and alternating setbacks can relieve some of this pressure. Multiple approaches to an entryway offer trauma survivors a sense of choice and control. Thoughtfully scaled buildings can minimize feelings of intimidation or vulnerability, enhancing accessibility and comfort. Clear, well-placed wayfinding and signage can promote privacy and dignity. Together, these elements create environments that prioritize safety, accessibility, and emotional well-being.
Space Planning: Practical Solutions for Trauma-Informed Design
Unlearn: Redesigning spaces using a trauma-informed design methodology requires a shift away from traditional space planning practices that focus on efficiency. Instead of optimizing square footage through shared areas like lobbies and conference rooms, TID prioritizes how individuals interact with their surroundings. By examining the connections and dynamics between various spaces, we can develop layouts that minimize cross-traffic and decrease stress.
Adapt: To achieve a true TID design, it is essential to evaluate how all individuals (administrative staff, family members, victims, etc.) move through a facility. One effective method is creating a spaghetti diagram to map the typical daily paths of users. Key considerations include minimizing interactions between victims and other occupants to promote privacy, understanding how adjacent spaces interact, and establishing clear, logical pathways to reduce navigation-related stress.
Innovate: Consider designing apartment-style entrances with alcoves to enhance privacy. These small, personal areas allow individuals to take a moment for themselves or use nearby furniture to create a sense of control within the facility. By prioritizing privacy and personal control, environments can better meet the diverse needs of users, significantly improving their overall experience.
Interior Design: Supporting Comfort and Agency
Unlearn: Typical interior design places a focus on functionality, aesthetics, trends, and cost efficiency.
Adapt: It is essential to move beyond standard design formulas and consider how furniture and fixtures might trigger, or help to alleviate, a trauma response. For instance, does the reception desk offer options for both visibility and privacy, empowering individuals to choose what feels right for them? Is the wayfinding system intuitive, fostering a sense of safety and ease in navigating the facility? Do the individual rooms allow for flexibility, accommodating diverse needs and preferences? These factors are critical in creating an environment that supports comfort, security, and individual control.
Innovate: Incorporate thoughtful systems and design elements that prioritize safety, privacy, accessibility, and control. For example, ingress doors are designed to lock immediately with a sound click upon entry, enhancing safety for all occupants. Movable plants are strategically placed to create opportunities for better concealment, further supporting a sense of security. Privacy is preserved through angulated reception approaches and high-back furniture, which help maintain anonymity and reduce the risk of facial recognition. Accessibility is supported by positioning the reception desk directly in front of the entry, using color-coded walls for intuitive navigation, and incorporating carefully selected wall art that wraps around spaces to guide people seamlessly to their destinations. Additionally, a variety of seating options further accommodate individual preferences, providing a sense of control over one’s environment.
Exterior Landscaping: First Impressions Matter
Unlearn: The exterior landscaping of a facility may not initially appear to play a significant role in trauma-informed design, but its impact on individuals who have experienced trauma should not be underestimated. Traditional landscaping choices, such as large shrubs, can inadvertently create feelings of apprehension. These elements might lead individuals to feel vulnerable, as they can perceive the possibility of someone hiding behind them. Similarly, pathways positioned too close to dense vegetation can heighten discomfort by limiting a person’s sense of escape.
Exterior Landscaping: First Impressions Matter
Unlearn: The exterior landscaping of a facility may not initially appear to play a significant role in trauma-informed design, but its impact on individuals who have experienced trauma should not be underestimated. Traditional landscaping choices, such as large shrubs, can inadvertently create feelings of apprehension. These elements might lead individuals to feel vulnerable, as they can perceive the possibility of someone hiding behind them. Similarly, pathways positioned too close to dense vegetation can heighten discomfort by limiting a person’s sense of escape.
Adapt: During the design process, evaluate how exterior landscaping influences the movement and experiences of those visiting the facility. For safety, analyze natural flight paths to minimize risks, such as accidental injuries from cacti or uneven terrain. Alternate pathways can provide individuals with greater control over navigation, fostering autonomy and reducing stress.
Innovate: When applying TID principles to the exterior of a facility, several considerations can enhance the overall visitor experience. Removing benches or gathering areas near the entry courtyard can help ensure privacy, allowing individuals to enter the facility discreetly. To promote accessibility, make the front entry visible from the parking lot to ease anxiety for those arriving. Additionally, alternate pathways with options to walk in either shaded areas or sunlight provide visitors with greater control over their comfort. These deliberate choices create a safe, welcoming environment that aligns with trauma-informed design principles.
Trauma-informed design represents a powerful opportunity to transform spaces into environments that genuinely support healing, dignity, and inclusivity. By consistently applying the principles of the SPACe model and approaching each design decision with empathy, architects and designers can create settings that honor and respond to the diverse needs of all users. This commitment to understanding and innovation goes beyond simply meeting standards. It’s about shaping spaces that empower individuals and foster well-being.
The next article in our series on Trauma-Informed Design will explore the design of the Gilbert Advocacy Center, showcasing how TID and SPACe principles were carefully integrated to create an environment of safety, comfort, and empowerment. We will examine the unique architectural and spatial elements that prioritize privacy, accessibility, and emotional well-being, as well as the intentional design choices made to support individuals navigating challenging circumstances.