Project Making Space for Autism was selected for fuTUre fit funding
The project is led by Sandrine Roche from the Service Unit of Diversity Management and Maja Kevdzija from the Faculty of Architecture and Planning.
6/12/20251 min read
“Making Space for Autism” is a TU Wien fuTUre fit (Call for Projects 2025 – Small) initiative that brings neurodivergence (with a focus on autism) into architectural education and campus engagement, arguing that sensory overstimulation, unclear layouts, and lack of quiet spaces may create barriers and that inclusive design can support autonomy, safety, and belonging.
The project is led by Sandrine Roche (Service Unit of Diversity Management) and involves Maja Kevdzija and Birgit Moser (Faculty of Architecture and Planning), architecture students, and members of TU Wien’s Autistic Student Self-Help Group as “user experts” and co-researchers.
It combines (1) an academic research seminar where students use methods such as (walking) interviews, observations/shadowing and photovoice to critically evaluate TU Wien campus spaces and other settings (such as healthcare, school) for sensory accessibility, (2) direct dialogue and collaboration between autistic and non-autistic students, and (3) an “Autistic Experience Space,” a mobile multisensory workshop developed by imspektrum.
The project outputs include seminar-related findings, feedback from the autistic experience space, and practical suggestions for spatial improvements on campus, with a longer-term goal of embedding neurodivergence more firmly in teaching and research at the Faculty of Architecture and Planning.
More about the fuTure fit funded projects can be found here.
