Cool pastel hues encourage calm mental and physical states at Spacesmith’s Genovese Family Life Center for SCO Family of Services in Queens, New York. (Eric Laignel)
By Ámbar Margarida, The Architect's Newspaper, October 4, 2023
Imagine you’re sitting in a waiting room. It’s hot, and your knees are tight to those of the people sitting across from you. You can feel the cramped space closing in. It’s uncomfortable, so you look to the walls: They’re empty and painted a drab beige, with the exception of an old motivational poster. There are documents piled on the front desk and back issues of magazines scattered across the coffee table. The trash bin overflows, and the air is stale. If you weren’t already agitated, the feeling sets in when the receptionist calls your name. It’s time for your appointment.
Who hasn’t experienced spaces like this? They can cause discomfort for anyone, especially those who have experienced trauma. According to studies from the Center for Disease Control, 61 percent of adults in the U.S. have undergone at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), a key indicator for future trauma. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance-use problems in adolescence and adulthood. They can also negatively impact education, job opportunities, and earning potential. When our environment feels unwelcoming, restrictive, and disorganized, past and present trauma can quickly rise to the surface.
Trauma-informed design is an emerging field within architecture that relies on research about the effects of our environments on our attitudes, moods, and behaviors. Our spaces have been proven to trigger deep psychological responses; spatial layout, lighting, artwork, shapes, colors, and more can drastically influence how we feel about our safety and self-worth, for better or worse. Accordingly, architects who practice trauma-informed design seek to create designs that broadly foster support for trauma-experienced individuals.
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