At the crossroads of social emotional learning and trauma-informed care, Bassetti Architects set out to create a resource for the design industry to craft spaces that support students, communities, and educators in the daily struggles they face – a Trauma-Informed Workbook. We are now in our fourth iteration of the workbook which examines additional design characteristics and spaces that lend to creating spaces that support our most vulnerable.

Utilizing principles intended to work in tandem with programming and pedagogy, the workbook is a thoughtful and in-depth take on how educational design can help soften and support the effects trauma has on children as they walk the halls of school every day.

What is Trauma-Informed Design?

“Trauma-Informed Design (TID) is a design process for the built environment based on trauma-informed care principles. Filtered through overlapping lenses of psychology, neuroscience, physiology, and cultural factors, its intent is to create spaces where all users feel a sense of safety (real and perceived), respect, connection, community, control, dignity, and joy.” - Trauma Informed Design Workbook V. 4, Bassetti Architects

The release of the Version 4 Workbook offers a deeper introduction into the knowledge base that informs TID as a whole, additional design characteristics, and learning spaces. Our intention is that our work continues to foster conversations about trauma, its effects on our children, and way in which designers and stakeholders can address it.

Our Trauma-Informed Design Research

Bassetti began trauma-informed design research in 2021. This has blossomed into an in-house TID research group which leads the firm in TID knowledge development and implementation. This is our fourth version of the open source workbook, industry conference presentations, and has inspired elements of our own projects such as Truman Elementary School and Walnut Grove Elementary School, in Vancouver, Washington.

The intention of these pursuits is to continue to grow in knowledge and evolve our practice  to create the most uplifting version of educational design possible. We welcome and encourage commentary from workbook users by emailing us at media@bassettiarch.com. 

Download our Workbook (We only ask for your email so that we may inform you of the release of V5 and any other pertinent TID related information. 

For additional information on TID or to request our services on your project, please contact Deepa Bharatkumar or Dena Eaton-Colles.