Architectures for autism

Research conducted on degenerative diseases of the “third age”, have seen in recent years the study group of Palermo investigate and propose solutions ranging from the development of guidelines for the design of “Nursing Homes”, the final design of residential architectures, the recovery and reuse of existing buildings and the design of the domestic space dedicated and protected for disadvantaged groups. For nearly two years this area of research is supported by a new area of investigation related to the always “social minority”. The request was made by the Students of Palermo, who feel the needs of autistic involved the research team to confront with this particular disease. From time architects develop proposals for environmental and functional research of the architectural space in support of this behavioral disorder, complex and destabilizing for autistic and those who are indirectly involved, since it is manifested by the original and unique events, which change from individual to individual. The research team of Palermo has traced the guidelines useful for building design and environmental, to give answers to the many questions that the spatial and functional Autism presents. The team proposed intervention programs that aim to recover the existing abandoned building with proposals to adapt according to the needs that this condition requires. Another aspect investigated in the research was the design of possible architectural solutions and communication aimed at the dissemination and information about Autism, because the disease is often not known or understood correctly, precisely because of the little knowledge that the society has with it. In this short paper we will be presented two projects, the result of research for Thesis. The first is a “Temporary System”, whose aim is to publicize the knowledge of this disease, little known to the public opinion and even less to designers and architects; the Thesis proposes a system of Temporary pavilions, three of which directed to autistic children to facilitate the orientation and conduct of therapeutic activities, one dedicated to the dissemination and information and the latest dedicated to parents. The second relating to the reuse of unused hospitals present in Palermo and converted “Day Centre” for children and adolescents with “autism spectrum disorders”, with the aim to realize construction specialized for the treatment of this condition.

Le ricerche condotte sulle malattie degenerative della "terza età", hanno visto negli ultimi anni il gruppo di studio palermitano indagare e proporre soluzioni che vanno dalla stesura di linee guida per la progettazione di Residenze Sanitarie Assistenziali (RSA), alla progettazione esecutiva di architetture residenziali, al recupero e riuso di edilizia già esistente fino alla progettazione dello spazio domestico dedicato e protetto, che oltre a fornire risposte funzionali ne ha anche esaltato il design degli elementi di arredo. A questo ambito di ricerca da circa due anni si è affiancato un nuovo settore di indagine indirizzato sempre alle "minoranze sociali".