Who Was the Office Built For? · Neurodivergent Spaces: The Standard Isn't Neutral

Send us Fan MailMost buildings and workplaces are built around one narrow prototype of how a person should communicate, learn and behave — and that choice stops looking like a choice once it becomes the standard. Drawing on Eva Redford's research-based essay How Society Excludes Autistic People by Design, this episode traces how institutions turn neurological difference into disadvantage without anyone needing to hold a biased thought. As Redford puts it: normal is not neutral, and it never was.From there we turn to the physical environment: sensory design, acoustics, lighting, colour, smell and the power of genuine choice about where and how to work. Roughly 15–20% of people are neurodivergent, and companies like Microsoft and SAP have built hiring programmes around the strengths they bring. Yet universal design still says almost nothing about neurodivergent needs — a gap I'm still working out myself, and one worth naming out loud.© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. AI generated image.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to’ explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!