We are thrilled to announce that the "Sensory Wellbeing Hub," a collaborative project between HKS Architects, Citizen HKS, and Ouva, has been honored with the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) Award. This pioneering project at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago is the first of its kind in an American public high school, aiming to improve the health and long-term prospects of students with sensory processing challenges.

The Need Behind the Project

Lane Tech College Prep High School identified a critical need for a sensory room to support their diverse learners, including students with moderate to severe autism. The Sensory Wellbeing Hub was designed to help these students recover from sensory stressors, allowing them to return to classroom activities in a better state of well-being. This initiative was taken up by Citizen HKS as a pro bono project, with the goal of creating a space that would provide both sensory engagement and respite.

Ouva's Role and Contribution

Ouva played a crucial role in this project by supplying technology and donating services to further the understanding of the effect of stimuli on autism. The interactive suite includes an interactive screen, sensors, and adaptive lighting, allowing the environment to react to the students' needs. This intelligent tracking capability helps in understanding and remembering the students' preferences based on their responses, ultimately benefiting the industry by providing insights into the impact of such environments on this sensitive population.

The Design Solution

The Sensory Wellbeing Hub features three distinct zones — active, respite, and "cocoon" — each designed to meet a variety of sensory needs. The "cocoon" structure provides a semi-enclosed microenvironment with tensile fabric seating and double-layered acoustic panels for noise reduction. Visual, kinesthetic, and tactile features in the active zone provide sensory engagement, while the respite zone includes a beanbag with a weighted blanket, a wall of fidget activities, and nature videos.

Research and Impact

The project team conducted extensive research to understand what aspects of sensory design benefit students with autism. The findings were published and shared open source to benefit others designing sensory environments. The Hub's design is flexible, durable, and affordable, making it easily replicable for other programs. Testing showed that students with autism reported high emotional well-being after using the Hub, with sustained positive effects for the remainder of the class period.

Funding and Support

The Sensory Wellbeing Hub was funded by donations from HKS Architects and HKS employees, the American Society of Interior Designers, and the Lane Tech Alumni Association. This collaborative effort underscores the importance of community and industry support in creating inclusive educational environments.