Looking to build better spaces for the half a million Australians living with dementia today? Or the projected 820,000 people of the near future?

At The Dementia Centre, we’ve been building a dementia knowledge hub for nearly 30 years. Informed by the latest research and practice, this is where you’ll find support and information on dementia and design.

There are free eBooks by Mary Marshall, world expert in designing enabling environments, or you can listen to Mary on The Dementia Podcast, where she explores how dedicated activism can make positive change. Or download the free Talking Sense eBook by Agnes Houston, highlighting the sensory challenges experienced by people living with dementia, such as vision or perception.

You’ll find books available for purchase that focus on lighting, acoustics, air quality and designing outdoor spaces, and provide advice and strategies to inform your design projects.

When it comes to light, we often talk about luminance contrast, which is a measure of the amount of light reflected from one surface compared to another. It’s essentially the difference in the light reflective properties of the colours used in your design.

When designing environments for people living with dementia, we aim to achieve at least 30% luminance contrast between elements, for example a door and the floor. The tool trusted by specialists in dementia-enabling design is the Architecture and Access Luminance Contrast Calculator.

Lastly, you’ll find a range of articles written to provide practical tips for designing better spaces for people living with dementia.

If you have any questions about dementia-enabling design, our team is ready to help. Drop us a line at consulting@dementiacentre.com.au.