Lighting In Trauma Informed Spaces

Guest Authors June 3, 2026

By Mariel Acevedo, MIES – ALR & Amanda Schaneman, MIES – ETC

Trauma informed design (TID) is a newer form of practice in the architectural community. It’s been around since 2013 and is gaining traction in all kinds of building types. As the work becomes more prominent, the lighting community should understand the language and the principles under which it operates in order to participate, engage and design within its parameters.

For the purpose of this work, we define trauma as experiences or circumstances that can emotionally or physically cause harm and affect our well-being.^[1] Acute trauma is short-lived, sometimes of a moment, while chronic trauma is long-term, persistent and requires treatment. It can be invisible, ongoing, or environmental. It is also deeply personal. When triggered, trauma alters the senses, causing heightened sensitivities to environmental cues – sight, sound, smell, touch and spatial layout. A lack of control of their surroundings will keep people at a heightened anxiety level.

This can completely alter our perception of space and, hence, how that space is interpreted. A trauma response affects our nervous system, and can cause hyper or hypo awareness, more commonly known as flight, fight, freeze, fawn or flop responses. For people experiencing trauma, lighting is often the first complaint from users of the space, such as it’s too harsh, too bright, it buzzes or flickers, or feels institutional.

Though this is a newer, constantly changing form of design, there are four core principles that designers currently use as a guide: Safety, Comfort, Choice and Connection.

Safety needs to be at the forefront of these spaces. Clear sightlines into spaces users are walking into, and where people might be approaching them, uniformly lit outdoor spaces, with low-level lighting and exits, entries and stairwells highly identifiable. For TID spaces, safety is as much about perception as actual physical security. Feeling safe will lead people to feel comfort.

Comfort can be achieved through spatial features that allow a person to regulate their body and be at ease physically, psychologically, and socially, by using biophilic design, with natural materials, patterns and colors. Design elements, including the lighting, should be high-quality, giving people a sense of self-worth and dignity. Physical spaces should include nested layers, beautiful artwork, distinctive finishes that indicate respect for the users and allows them to make choices.

Choice is about agency. Being able to decide whether they sit with a group or by themselves, and whether they interact directly with staff. Allowing folks to control their light levels giving them the ability to determine a piece of their surroundings. Having access to exits if their flight response is triggered or to outdoor spaces for self-regulation and providing spaces that allow for quiet, or community and connection.

Connection is multilayered. It can be about connecting with themselves, their mind and body, with family members, staff, the surrounding community, or even the building itself. People can interact in direct ways or indirectly by sights, sounds and smells. Outside, gardens, places to smoke or grill, as well as identity anchors like murals help residents, patients, and visitors feel a sense of belonging.

As we’ve mentioned, no trauma is the same, and therefore, we can’t approach all designed spaces with the same set of rules. However, there are design principles that we can use to approach these projects. You’ve seen some of these terms already, designing for dignity and self-esteem. Providing privacy and personal space. Using visual simplicity to create a low-stress and sensory-friendly environment. Practicing biophilic design and being aware of users’ cultural responsiveness, making sure we look beyond biases and stereotypes, including potential historical trauma related to gender, race, or socioeconomic factors. In TID,these are not checklist items; they are genuine, central parts of the design.

The most important factor in this process is communication and collaboration. Not just with the design team, but most importantly with the stakeholders. Talk to everyone, not just owners or building managers,throughout the entire process. Really listen to what they say and don’t assume you know what they need. This process is not done when construction ends. Post-occupancy research is critical to evaluating the effectiveness of the design from the perspective of the occupants, and it allows designers to adjust things based on the lived experience of the users. This means we should build flexibility into our design, both with lighting and controls.

Though we are still in the process of learning, mostly by implementation, there are a few lighting-specific guidelines that apply universally. It is imperative that the light levels and styles of fixture that we choose are site-specific. What we understand to be acceptable light levels in a general-use space might be triggering to some populations. Our controls should be user-adjustable, and if we are using color, we must give them a way to select their preference. Fixtures should be quiet, no buzzing or flickering. We must also pay close attention to our finishes, using softer shapes and color temperatures that match specific needs. This can take a space from looking industrial to looking genuine. Our luminaire selection and placement can help provide a sense of place and aid in wayfinding, as well as denoting gathering spaces, transit, or even a nod to the community.

As we hopefully start integrating these principles into our practices, we encourage designers to prioritize the process, ask key questions: who uses the space, how do they define safety, what types of trauma are common, how can we give control and comfort, and how does the design support or harm healing? Let’s ask these questions whenever possible to as many of the stakeholders – owners, staff, occupants – as possible. Remember, we are all learning together about this, so document your process, share with other practitioners and build that flexibility in so that we can adjust as we learn more.

[1] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

About The Authors

Mariel Acevedo, ALR, concentrates on healthcare, education and commercial lighting. Amanda Schaneman, ETC, is a lighting industry professional specializing in healthcare, architectural, and experiential lighting design conversations. Through their work and industry leadership roles, they’ve collaborated and focused on the intersection of lighting, human experience, and trauma-informed design within the built environment.

Image above: AI crafted by Mariel Acevedo.