Project Background

Ruth House is a specialist residential home for children and young adults on the Autism Spectrum. Run by Surrey County Council, the home provides a place to live and equips residents with the life skills they need to develop, flourish, and grow into independent members of society.

Ruth House contacted our design team as they needed a special solution to support the wellbeing of one of their residents – Lucy*.

Lucy has a visual impairment, ASD and requires round the clock care by a team of OT’s and support staff. One of Lucy’s unique habits is to bang her head and body against the apartment’s walls and hard surfaces, self-harming, something Ruth House were keen to curb. That’s where our sensory design team got involved, ready to transform Lucy’s apartment into a relaxing, safe, sensory space.

 

Project Requirements

  • Safety padding to cover the walls, floors, doors, and radiators in Lucy’s four-room apartment.
  • Padding that is thin enough to accommodate fire doors.
  • Coloured padding that compliments the apartment’s interiors.
  • A quick turnaround to minimise disturbances to Lucy’s routines and schedules.

 

Our Design Solution

We worked closely with the project’s key stakeholders – the local council’s building surveyor and Lucy’s Occupational Therapist (OT) – so that our sensory design team could create a space that would work for Lucy, her support staff, Ruth House, and Surrey County Council.

Bespoke Padding

Our safety padding is made to measure, ensuring a snug fit throughout Lucy’s apartment. No hard space was left unpadded, radiators were boxed in, corridor walls lined, and doors comfortably covered. To meet fire regulations, floor padding around doorways was ultra-thin to allow for the easy opening/closing of doors whilst ensuring Lucy’s safety.

Colour Coordinated

Lucy’s visual impairment was also integrated into the padding’s design; each space in her apartment had its own unique coloured pads, yellow in the living room, cream in the bedroom, and a bright blue along the hall. The contrast in the colours would help Lucy distinguish which space she’s in, allowing her to explore her apartment independently and with confidence.

Efficient Install

Our install team worked round the clock to ensure the project was completed quickly and efficiently, minimising disruption to Lucy’s routine.

 

*Names and details have been changed to protect the identity of the clients.