Design professionals came together with a range of dementia care e
xperts, consultants, academics and the construction supply chain this week in London, to take a holistic view of the factors needed for spaces that support the varied needs of end users.
With over 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia, the challenge for designers, architects and the construction sector supply chain to balance safety, independence and aesthetics considerations is fundamental to achieving supportive spaces. From NHS care facilities to care homes and ageing in place at home, the expert discussions focused on designing with empathy for users at the core, from a range of perspectives, and illustrated by exemplar case studies.
netMAGmedia staged its first conference ‘Designing for Dementia 2026’ on the back of two successful industry round tables in 2024 and 2025, continuing a fruitful collaboration with Headline Partners Amtico Flooring and Johnstone’s Trade. They were able to offer key insights on the importance of flooring and colour respectively in supportive environments for dementia, and some of the current obstacles, alongside programme partners, WMS Underfloor Heating, Saint-Gobain Ecophon and Circadacare.
The discussion covered many of the ‘macro’ issues around creating spaces which carefully consider the particular psychological and physical challenges of each user, but also which avoid rigid approaches to design requirements dominated by received wisdom. Architects’ Datafile managing editor James Parker commented: “Our conference contributors illustrated how supportive design is a composite, and often complex picture of many elements, and neglecting any of these can result in distress and even danger for people living with dementia.”
He added: “However, our assembled experts from across the sector also showed how design ‘rules’ should be thoughtfully applied, and even questioned, for example, Light Reflectance Values. The wider context of each environment, which is always itself a particular combination of elements, must be considered.”
Looking at relevant research, design approaches, and the results in projects, added a richness to the event which proved valuable for every attendee. The overall aim of increasing spaces for people living with dementia that are designed with evidence in mind was brought under the spotlight, and connections formed at the event across disciplines embodied the holistic cross-fertilisation that will benefit future designs.
A full report on the conference will be published as a supplement to Architects’ Datafile magazine, and online at insights.netmagmedia.co.uk