Tau Mauri Sensory Room
Project Aim
The Tau Mauri Sensory Room was designed with the goal of creating a calming, safe, and therapeutic environment for tamariki (children) and their families at Kidz First Community Health. This space aims to alleviate stress, particularly in hospital environments where sensory overload is common. By incorporating Māori cultural elements, such as references to Taikehu’s garden and symbolic representations like the Pūriri tree, the room connects users to the land’s history while promoting sensory engagement and relaxation.
Challenges Addressed
- The need for a space that fosters calmness and comfort in a busy hospital setting.
- Catering to children with developmental needs, providing a safe and caring environment.
- Creating a design that reflects the land’s historical and cultural significance.
- Offering a multisensory experience to reduce stress and aid in therapeutic interventions.
Design Solution The room design combined several key features, all tailored to offer a multi-sensory experience:
- Custom Tree Design: The Pūriri tree, a central feature, represents safety and care, symbolising a place where everyone is welcome. Its design encourages tactile interaction and visual stimulation.
- Lockable Cupboard Storage: Practical and secure storage for smaller sensory resources, keeping the room organised and clutter-free, while ensuring these resources are easily accessible.
- Retreat Spaces: Soft, modular seating inspired by the Pātiki (flounder), symbolising abundance, provides comfortable, flexible areas for users to rest and reflect. The design allows for both individual retreat and group engagement.
- Interactive Sensory Panels: Multi-sensory panels feature over 1,500 pattern combinations, offering passive, interactive, and music-based modes. These panels provide a means for personalising the sensory experience, particularly beneficial for children with sensory processing disorders.
- Light-up Sensory Equipment: Features such as fibre optic strands and corner light tubes offer immersive sensory stimulation. The vibrant, transitioning lights help to create a calming and visually engaging space that captures the imagination of tamariki and supports relaxation.
Outcome and Benefits
- Therapeutic Impact: The sensory equipment, including multi-sensory panels and light-up features, offers significant therapeutic potential, especially for children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing disorders. The ability to control and tailor the sensory environment promotes a sense of agency, reducing stress and encouraging relaxation.
- Cultural Connection: The incorporation of symbolic elements like the Pūriri tree and references to the garden of Taikehu help to ground the space in Māori cultural values. This connection not only enhances the aesthetic but also offers a deeper sense of place, fostering a healing environment connected to the land’s history.
- Versatile Space: The Tau Mauri Sensory Room accommodates up to six tamariki and is designed for flexibility. The room provides options for solitary retreat, group interaction, and therapeutic interventions, making it highly adaptable to the diverse needs of its users.
By combining intentional design with sensory engagement and cultural representation, the Tau Mauri Sensory Room serves as a crucial resource in supporting the health and wellbeing of tamariki and their families.
