Sensory Studio

We are showcasing our project with Sense charity in collaboration with the Early Intervention Team located at Sense TouchBase Pears in Birmingham.

Sense is a national charity that supports people who have complex disabilities or are deafblind to communicate, connect and take part in life.

Sense commissioned us to design, make and install a suite of custom furniture, tailor-made to support activities for children and their families.

A collaborative process of knowledge exchange, curiosity and dialogue with the Sense team enabled the creation of a design concept driven by an inclusive approach which celebrates their community. This led us to create a suite of playful furniture which actively supports learning in multiple ways.

In this sensory studio, the children become sensory explorers and are invited to experience learning in different ways. This enables them to decide where they would like to play, learn and rest by choosing an environment or activity to visit in the studio.

During the design process, we were introduced to the triangle symbol which means home to this community and adapted this to create several mobile houses, with triangular roofs to create different experiences. We discovered that this team use story bags to tell stories which include sensory materials and objects to communicate a narrative. This provided the opportunity to create furniture to support different experiences and created a range of environments including the quiet house, story house and sound house.

Throughout the space, we have used primary colours and shapes which create a journey of discovery, which activates sensory exploration.

A colourful activity centre with tote boxes of art material openly invites creative experimentation. Which sits alongside a feature storage wall which celebrates and showcases braille as part of a playful visual language to establish a sense of place. This is used as both a decorative and functional aspect of the design approach. These braille panels have been made in relief on the furniture as a sensory aspect that can be read by touch. The contrasting visual qualities help to aid the visually impaired and the orange circles correspond to the overall branding identity and are used as details throughout the design approach.

We asked Rachel Perrin, Associate Director: Operational Programmes at Sense for her thoughts about working together on this project:

For Sense, working with DualWorks has been an absolute dream. Our work supports people who are deafblind or have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential.

It’s wonderful to work with a partner who shares our vision of a world where everyone can take part in life, no matter their disability. This partnership has helped us to translate our sensory practice into the environments we have created for children who are deafblind or have complex disabilities. This ranges from tactile carriers, braille pegboards and sensory play stations right through to the gorgeous home pods we can turn into tents, story spaces or fill with sensory lights, music, scent and fabrics.

Feedback from parents who bring their children to Sense sessions has been so positive. Spaces are safe, welcoming and far removed from clinical spaces they may have experienced. You get a sense of calm joy when you walk into our new children’s studios. That is down to DualWorks partnership delivering on our shared vision for these spaces.

We are so delighted with the way this partnership has developed to create furniture for Sense Hub Loughborough, with more to come!

For more information about this sensory studio please visit A day in the life of play leader written by Laura Smith

Photography by Crumb