How Trauma-Informed Design is shaping more inclusive spaces

Every space we design has an impact on the people who use it. From layout and lighting to materials and finishes, these decisions shape how people feel, move, and interact with their surroundings. We design with that in mind, creating places that support emotional wellbeing as much as they do form and function.

Trauma-informed design takes this a step further. It recognises that the built environment can either support or challenge a person’s sense of safety, control and dignity, especially for those who have experienced trauma. Drawing on principles from trauma-informed care, it helps us create spaces that are calming, predictable, and empowering.

This aligns closely with our work on inclusive design and neurodiversity. People experience and process space in different ways. For some, this might mean less sensory stimulation. For others, it’s about having clear visual cues or the ability to choose between quiet or more active areas. Designing for neurodiversity and trauma-informed principles means offering flexibility, reducing potential triggers, and making spaces that work for a wider range of needs.

One example is the University of Salford’s Health and Wellbeing Building. It is one of the first higher education buildings in the UK to put trauma-informed principles into practice from first principles. It sets a new benchmark for buildings that support mental health and inclusive access.

In this piece, we explore what trauma-informed design means in practice and how it is shaping a more inclusive future for the built environment.

What is trauma-informed design?

Trauma can have a lasting impact on the way people experience and interact with their surroundings. Trauma-informed design recognises this. It takes the core principles of trauma-informed care, originally developed to guide healthcare and social services, and applies them to the built environment.

Trauma-informed care, defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)¹, is based on six core principles:

• Safety: Creating spaces that feel physically and emotionally safe.
• Trustworthiness and transparency: Environments that promote openness and reduce ambiguity.
• Peer support: Encouraging positive social connections and shared experiences.
• Collaboration and mutuality: Promoting equality in decision-making and the design process.
• Empowerment, voice and choice: Offering users autonomy and recognising their strengths.
• Cultural, historical and gender issues: Reflecting diverse user needs and reducing re-traumatisation.

Trauma-informed design puts these principles into practice, and industry frameworks are beginning to emerge to help shape thinking in this area. One such example is the 2023 Trauma-Informed Design Framework, developed by Shopworks Architecture² in collaboration with trauma specialists and community partners.

The framework centres around four connected values: connection, comfort, choice and safety.

It emphasises that the design of a physical environment, together with how buildings are managed and how services are delivered, all play a part in supporting emotional wellbeing.

It also highlights the need for trauma-informed thinking to extend across the full lifecycle of a space – from early design through to long-term use and management.

Our approach to trauma-informed design has been developed through our projects and close collaboration with building users. It’s about creating opportunity to support emotional safety, dignity, and wellbeing over time.

Why trauma-informed design matters

Trauma is more common than we might realise. According to a national YouGov survey commissioned by Healthwatch, 59% of people in the UK have experience trauma at some point³.

Trauma can shape how people perceive, navigate and respond to their environments especially when those spaces are intimidating, disorientating or emotionally cold. This is particularly relevant for spaces that support people who may be more vulnerable, including:

• Neurodivergent individuals who may experience heightened sensory sensitivity.
• People managing mental health challenges, who can feel overstimulated or disoriented in unfamiliar environments.
• Children and young people, particularly in SEND or care settings.
• Communities affected by displacement, discrimination or violence.

By reducing stress-causing factors in the environment and creating opportunities for choice, trauma-informed design can have a positive impact on how people feel in and engage with their surroundings. These benefits aren’t limited to those with a known history of trauma.

Sensitively designed spaces help everyone feel safer, more respected and better supported. Crucially, they encourage people to use and return to spaces they might otherwise avoid, especially in public settings like schools, hospitals and other civic environments.

Applying trauma-informed principles in practice

Translating trauma-informed values into the design of spaces requires a thoughtful, user-centred approach. We’ve developed several core design strategies which support emotional safety and wellbeing:

• Predictable layouts and clear wayfinding: Simple, intuitive layouts and clear signage help reduce cognitive load and anxiety.
• Opportunities for choice and control: Providing different types of spaces – enclosed, open, quiet, flexible – allows users to choose what works best for them.
• Sensory management: Using natural light, acoustic dampening, non-institutional materials, and biophilic elements to create calming environments.
• Inclusive, flexible spaces: Designing toilets, waiting areas and circulation spaces that respect privacy, dignity and diverse needs.

These principles were central to the University of Salford Health and Wellbeing Building, where the design supports both physical and emotional comfort through everything from layout and materials to lighting and signage.

We’ve also used this thinking in other recent projects, including Silverwood SEND School, where a calm, inclusive environment is essential to supporting pupils with complex SEND needs, and the Countess of Chester Hospital Women & Children’s Unit, where the patient experience and emotional care are prioritised throughout.

Evolving inclusive design

Trauma-informed design enhances inclusive and accessible design. Where inclusive design focuses on removing physical and cognitive barriers, trauma-informed design extends this to the emotional and psychological experience of space. This is particularly valuable in settings where inclusive design might not address:

• The effects of previous trauma and its long-term symptoms.
• Sensory triggers like harsh lighting, loud noise or confusing layouts.
• Feelings of powerlessness, anxiety, being unsafe or lack of control.

Using trauma-informed thinking, we can create spaces that are not just accessible, but genuinely support how people feel, think and move within them. Spaces that are friendly to those living with dementia, sensitive to neurodiversity and responsive to the lasting effects of trauma. Places that feel safe, supportive and welcoming to all.

Future considerations

As the value of trauma-informed design becomes more widely recognised, there are opportunities to embed it at a broader, strategic level. Beyond individual projects, trauma-informed design can shape:

• Estate-wide design standards in healthcare, education and public spaces.
• Design briefs and stakeholder engagement processes, embedding lived experience into early-stage thinking.

• Facilities management and building operations that support consistent, safe and welcoming environments.

We’re exploring these opportunities further through a series of resources with the University of Salford where we’ll share new thinking, project insights and what trauma-informed design could mean for education, healthcare and beyond.

It’s an approach with significant potential. By placing human experience at the heart of design, we can shape spaces that not only meet practical needs, but also foster a sense of calm, confidence and connection.

We’re always looking to share ideas and create positive change through design. Our team of architects can help you explore how trauma-informed design could shape your next project. Get in touch.

References

1. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
2. https://shopworksarc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-TID-Framework-v3.pdf
3. https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/report/2025-03-03/how-trauma-cards-could-improve-access-care