Autism Friendly Architectural Design Magda Mostafa

EPISODE 69
Autism Friendly Architectural Design:
A Discussion with Dr. Magda Mostafa

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Show Notes

It is now widely accepted that for autistic and neurodivergent individuals to be fully included and successful in educational and vocational settings, the design of such settings must support accessibility and be sensitive to the specific environmental challenges posed by different settings. Such challenges may occur due to the sensory and social demands inherent in schools, vocational settings, and everyday environments. Dr. Magda Mostafa, a leading expert and innovator in architectural design for neurodivergent individuals, discusses her groundbreaking work that is at the forefront of influencing autism friendly design and has helped to improve quality of life for autistic children, adults and their families.

Links of Interest

Visit ASPECTSS* Architecture for Autism
Visit MIXDesign
The Autism Friendly University Design Guide
Autism Friendly Cities – An interview of Magda Mostafa at The Urbanist
Resource Slideshow: “Autistic Imaginaries of Architectural Space: the World through the Lens of Autism”
Resource Forum Video: “Shaping the City Chicago: Architecture for the People”

Featuring

Magda Moustafa

Dr. Magda Mostafa

Dr. Magda Mostafa is an associate professor of Design in the Architecture Department of American University in Cairo. She is currently the co-director of the UNESCO-UIA education commission and validation council, which is a global think-tank tasked with setting architectural education policies and practices as well as upholding threshold standards of excellence.  She also is a design associate at the Cairo-based practice, Progressive Architects where she specializes in autism inclusive design. She is the author of autism ASPECTSS™ design guidelines, the world’s first research-based design framework for autism worldwide. ASPECTSS™ has been presented at the United Nations as a framework for international autism design policy, as well as showcased in lectures and keynotes at Harvard’s GSD, and the World Autism Organization. It was awarded the UIA International Research Award in 2014 and was the subject if her well-received TedTalk in 2015. Her work on autism is widely published worldwide, and she has been called “one of the world’s pre-eminent researchers in autism design” by the international architectural media. To date, the ASPECTSS Design Index has informed 12 architectural, urban, and artistic projects in 4 countries and has been used to design projects spanning five continents ranging in scale from interior classroom retrofits to urban-scale neighborhoods in Europe, the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and the UAE. She has joined the New York-based think-tank and inclusive practice MIXDesign as a member of their MIX Neurodiversity Initiative and as part of their team as an autism expert.

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) Magda discusses the concept of autism friendly from a design standpoint. One example is her concept of “escape-scape”. Given the emotional regulatory needs of autistic people, how is this design concept helpful to autistic people? What other autism friendly design principles does she discuss?

2)  Magda’s design work is autistic informed on many levels. What examples does she provide and why is this important?

3) Magda notes that her main take away from her work is when design helps people who are autistic and neurodivergent, its positive impact goes well beyond these individuals. What does she mean by that, and share any examples you have of such positive impacts in your life as an autistic person, a professional, or a parent.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.