Plus designs Australia's first airport sensory room

Perth Airport has officially opened Australia's first airport Sensory Room. We designed the space, located in Terminal 1 International's Departure Lounge Area. The facility is a big step toward a more inclusive and accessible travel experience for neurodivergent passengers and their caregivers.

The project has already been recognised. It won The Iwan Iwanoff Award for Small Project Architecture at the 2025 WA Architecture Awards and is advancing to the AIA National Awards on November 6, 2025, in Melbourne.

We worked closely with Perth Airport's Access and Inclusion Advisory Group, focusing our design process on community consultation. This involved a survey of nearly 600 people, including neurodivergent individuals, their families, and carers.

Patric Przeradzki, Director at Plus Studio, noted that our team and Perth Airport aimed to create a space that truly meets the needs of neurodivergent travellers and their carers.

"Our process was built on meaningful engagement, ensuring that the final result was shaped by lived experience rather than assumption. What makes the Sensory Room unique is its consideration not only of neurodivergent travellers of all ages, but also of their families and carers. Many sensory rooms are unintentionally child-focused. We deliberately created a space that serves everyone and their diverse needs".

To create a holistic space, we also consulted with other organisations that have sensory rooms, including those at Pittsburgh and Seattle Airports. We also looked at comparators in sports stadiums and other public venues. We integrated expertise from engineers, lighting and sound specialists, and accessibility experts to learn from the successes and shortcomings of other projects.

The 75-square-meter facility has three distinct areas. There is a welcoming lobby with secure luggage storage, two private retreat rooms, and a central sensory area.

The Sensory Room offers a calming atmosphere with soft furnishings, backlit illumination, and high-back seating. Acoustically optimised padding helps dampen sound. Users can control their experience with adjustable lighting and sound in each zone.

All design elements feature rounded corners, soothing colours, and organic shapes to create a secure, cocooned feeling. The goal is to support a wide range of users. A key design element is the illuminated tactile exploration panels. These panels feature different materials like textured fabrics, artificial grass, and patterned surfaces, providing a unique space for sensory-seeking individuals.

"We understand that travelling can be a highly stressful situation, especially for neurodivergent travellers. We’ve recognised this and wanted to provide a space that will make the process easier. With a focus on removing barriers for neurodivergent people, the room caters to all ages, with an emphasis on supporting decompression, in a busy airport environment, Perth Airport is committed to fostering an inclusive travel experience for all passengers and we believe this new sensory room is a great addition to our terminal".

In Australia, around 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent, and 11.9% are unpaid carers. The Sensory Room's location in Terminal 1 International offers a vital and safe refuge for many travellers in what can be an overwhelming environment.

Praising the project, the AIA Awards jury commented:

"The Sensory Room is a clever response to a complex brief that will transform the travel experience for neurodivergent passengers". They also noted that the "considered response was the culmination of a co-design process engaging with a large stakeholder group and the wider community, masterfully conducted by the Plus team".

The knowledge we gained from our work on the Sensory Room will now inform our approach to accessible design across our projects in Australia and New Zealand. This sets a new precedent for inclusive design. The room is open to passengers travelling through Terminal 1 International. It must be pre-booked online.