Traditional workplace design often unintentionally excludes the estimated 1-in-5 employees who are neurodivergent. Yet these individuals often possess exceptional abilities in pattern recognition, creative problem-solving and focused work — talents organizations desperately need. There is a strong business case for neuroinclusive design that prioritizes choice, variety and control. Organizations that create truly welcoming environments see positive results in increased innovation, enhanced productivity, deeper engagement and higher retention.
As awareness around neuroinclusion has increased, many understand the core issues and the reasons for creating more inclusive workplaces. Still, most lack the understanding of how to do so. Our new book Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces, addresses sensory processing, cognitive well-being, and neurodiversity in the built environment and why and how we need to address them to create neuroinclusive spaces. And we offer tangible solutions — how furniture, materials, and finishes can shape sensory-friendly workplaces.
From flooring that reduces auditory distractions to hardware that accommodates diverse tactile needs, we’ll explore how manufacturers like Tarkett, pba S.p.A., and Hollman are developing innovative products that prioritize inclusivity without sacrificing aesthetics.
To translate neuroinclusive design principles into practice, let’s examine how specific materials and finishes can create environments that accommodate diverse sensory needs.
Designing for Sensory Comfort
Every workplace surface, texture, and finish sends signals to our senses. These signals help some employees feel calm and focused, while others can be stimulating, invigorating, and potentially distracting or uncomfortable.
When designing for diverse sensory preferences, material considerations include:
Touch: People interact very differently with surfaces. Some enjoy tactile input, while others do everything they can to avoid it. Smart design integrates soft, comforting textures with smooth, low-friction surfaces in areas where individuals need to spend extended periods of time, peppered with spaces that offer a deeper tactile experience when desired. That can be in the form of a highly tactile fabric in a specific seating area or a textured surface in social spaces that people can physically engage with.
Sound: Creating different acoustic zones throughout the space is key. While some individuals are inclined to seek out quiet areas, others benefit from more energetic environments. Social spaces can accommodate higher noise levels. Using a blend of hard and soft materials and various acoustic treatments such as screens, textured surfaces, and flooring can aid in the creation of zones with different acoustic qualities for different work styles and user preferences.
Visual perception: We receive more sensory input from our eyes than any other sense. While bold patterns and high contrast can be stimulating to some, they can also be overwhelming, especially if exposed to them for an extended time or while trying to do concentrated, focused work. Color has a significant impact on individuals. It has the power to energize, restore, stimulate, calm and even encourage creativity. Natural tones evoke a connection to nature and order and convey qualities of comfort, calmness, and grounding.
Making Flooring Work for Everyone: An Inclusive Approach
Early on in our research on designing for neuroinclusion, major flooring manufacturer Tarkett approached us and communicated their enthusiasm for embracing inclusive design principles in their products. They asked if we would work with them to create a guide for their sales team to help educate them on inclusive principles. Flooring does far more than define a space. It affects movement, sound, and spatial orientation. Here are a few ways flooring can aid in creating inclusive spaces:
Sound: Acoustical, hard surfaces allow more sound to reverberate throughout a space, such as foot traffic and conversations. Soft surfaces help dampen sound to reduce self-consciousness when moving through a space or speaking.
Orientation and navigation: Many autistic people have difficulty with direct eye contact, so they look down to avoid making eye contact. While looking down to navigate the space if the flooring is overly confusing or disorienting, it can be quite stressful. In these cases, flooring patterns and colors can be critical in wayfinding and navigation.
Temperature: Various flooring types can impact the perception of temperature. Hard surfaces are perceived to be cold, while plush materials and colors are perceived to be warmer and cozy.
Texture/Color: The finish palette can contribute to visual interest and create a sense of calm or be invigorating.
Space definition: Flooring patterns can aid in defining space and identifying a change in zone or space type.
Patterns: Flooring patterns can create visual clarity or complexity within a space. Chaotic or confusing patterns can be disorienting and reduce the ability to easily navigate a space.
Predictable transitions: Abrupt flooring changes can disorient people and make surfaces look unstable. Instead, use gradual shifts in color and texture.
Strategic material placement: High-traffic areas benefit from low-pile flooring to reduce friction. Casual or focus zones can incorporate higher-pile carpets for added comfort.
Rethinking Door Hardware with TOCCO
While door handles are often overlooked in workplace design, they’re among the first touchpoints employees encounter in a space. Traditional hardware tends to be cold, sterile, and visually indistinct, offering little sensory engagement.
Recognizing an opportunity to improve inclusivity, HOK collaborated with architectural hardware manufacturer pba S.p.A. and design partner RainlightSTUDIO to create TOCCO, a door hardware system that embraces inclusive design principles and enhances sensory engagement.
TOCCO’s features include:
Tactile choice: Users can select between smooth or textured handles, making them more comfortable for people with sensory sensitivities or grip challenges.
Temperature control: Made with ECONYL® regenerated nylon, TOCCO stays warmer than metal. This helps users sensitive to cold surfaces.
Visual cues for wayfinding: Colors can subtly indicate room functions. A red handle, for example, might signal a specialized space, while neutral tones blend into general areas.
Predictability in interaction: TOCCO maintains consistent surface textures throughout a space, avoiding unexpected sensory changes that could cause discomfort.
As the first hardware collection designed to address sensory sensitivity, sustainability, and adaptability, pba’s TOCCO enhances daily interactions and makes workplaces more intuitive and accessible for everyone.
A Safe Harbor in Shared Spaces
During our research into neuroinclusion, we met Travis Hollman, CEO of Hollman, Inc. and creator of MeSpace, a workstation designed for neurodivergent professionals. Like many others, Hollman recognized that the constant distractions in traditional shared workspaces can be overwhelming. He sought to develop a solution to help people feel secure and more productive in busy workplace environments.
Hollman and his team developed MeSpace, a personal space where people can work throughout the day. His goal was to make the most versatile space possible where individuals can control everything—from the lighting to the temperature, the desk height, and the tactile surfaces. Each workstation includes a door that can be left open, partially closed, or fully closed. Users can also control their visual connection to outside the workstation, as both the door and window can be left clear or darkened with the press of a button. The design enables individuals to customize their environment to their preferences, whether they are hypersensitive to environmental stimuli, hyposensitive, or somewhere in between.
Integrating Biophilic Elements for Sensory Regulation
Nature has a big impact on how people think and feel. By bringing natural elements into the workplace, designers can help employees process sensory information and navigate spaces.
Among the many ways biophilic elements can enhance the workplace:
Natural materials: Wood, stone, and woven textiles help workplaces feel warmer and more authentic.
Nature-inspired patterns: Our brains process organic, fractal patterns more quickly than rigid, geometric shapes.
Greenery as a sensory tool: Plants serve as natural sound absorbers while cleaning the air.
By incorporating these natural elements, workplaces can provide subtle, calming sensory input that helps employees stay focused.
A Holistic Approach to Material Selection
Choosing materials goes beyond looks. It’s about creating environments that work for everyone’s needs.
To create a neuroinclusive workplace, designers should:
Assess the preferences of their workforce to inform material choices that balance stimulation and comfort.
Provide options, choice, and variety so users can control their experience and level of sensory stimulation.
Design clear transitions between different acoustic, visual and activity zones, using materials to help indicate these changes.
Layer materials strategically to balance stimulation and calm.
Give employees some degree of control over their immediate surroundings for comfort, including when and how long they use different spaces, as well as lighting levels, visual privacy, and ergonomic settings.
Material choices are an essential part of neuroinclusive design. Thoughtful, research-backed choices won’t just benefit neurodivergent employees—they’ll improve the workplace for everyone.
Spaces Where Everyone Can Thrive
Creating inclusive spaces requires us to rethink how materials shape everyone’s daily experience at work. Using predictable textures, adjustable sensory elements, and careful transitions between spaces helps to remove the barriers that hold many back and helps all employees thrive.
To learn more about creating neuroinclusive workplaces, look for my new book, “Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces: Advancing Sensory Processing and Cognitive Well-Being in the Built Environment” (Wiley, March 2025). This comprehensive guide weaves together client stories; interviews with inclusion experts, thought leaders, and individuals who have inspired us; profiles of well-known innovators and creators; and personal insights. Drawing from HOK’s research and experience, the book provides a roadmap for creating environments where everyone can do their best work. Find out more at www.inclusiveworkplace.design.