Neuroarchitecture for Design Dignity: Developing World‑First Educational Videos on Dementia‑Inclusive Environments
Jacqueline Leung

Date and Time

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Theme / Track

Arts, design, innovation and technology

Presentation Format

Poster Presentation

This study reports on the development of a series of world‑first educational videos on neuroarchitecture in the dementia‑inclusive design space, along with the survey‑based research that informed their content. The videos are explicitly grounded in the Design Dignity Dementia Manifesto principles, supported by Alzheimer’s Disease International, and position dementia as a rights‑based, disability‑informed condition rather than solely a biomedical diagnosis. They translate contemporary evidence on brain–environment relationships into actionable design strategies across domains such as lighting, acoustics, spatial configuration, materiality, and multisensory cues, illustrating how these can enact dignity, relationality, equity, autonomy, and social participation in home, community, and care settings. An online pre‑survey was developed as the primary research instrument to shape and refine the educational intervention. It combined quantitative items (e.g., Likert‑scale ratings of perceived importance, confidence, and current implementation of dementia‑inclusive design) with open‑ended questions exploring experiences of dementia‑related environments, barriers and enablers to good design, and priorities for change. Participants included architects, planners, health and care professionals, people living with dementia, and care partners. Descriptive and thematic analyses are being conducted to identify key needs, knowledge gaps, and design priorities; the resulting patterns will directly inform final video content and framing. The outcome of this project will provide evidence to support the preliminary impacts of the knowledge-translation material developed in this project. The outcome will further demonstrate the potential of using education videos to catalyse a more inclusive, rights‑affirming environment and interactions for people living with dementia.

Keywords

Architecture, Dementia, Design, Education and Training, Innovation

Authors

Ross Langley, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania
Huni Bollinger, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania
Emma Lea, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania
James Vickers, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania
Joanna Sun, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania