Sensory Mapping

To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026, Buro Happold has published a new white paper on sensory mapping, offering evidence-based guidance to help organisations create more predictable, neuro-inclusive experiences across museums, workplaces, campuses, transport hubs and beyond.

As part of Buro Happold’s recently launched sensory mapping white paper, developed to coincide with Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026, Goc O’Callaghan was a contributor in the role of Experience Lead with the paper being led by Rebecca Adda, who works for Buro Happold as an Inclusive Environments advisor.

Reflecting on her involvement, O’Callaghan notes that she “played a small part in contributing to what is now Buro Happold Sensory Mapping,” describing it as an important step towards a new way of displaying information. At its core, the work is about communicating more effectively with those who are neurodivergent or have additional needs, enabling them to personalise their wayfinding and enhance their experience through informed choice. This was not a conventional design role. It centred on shaping how people perceive, anticipate and emotionally navigate environments, often before they even arrive, optimising participant experience.

The white paper explores a fundamental shift in thinking, moving beyond traditional notions of accessibility towards a deeper understanding of sensory experience. Sensory mapping introduces the ability for individuals to understand how a place will feel, rather than simply how it appears. In doing so, it supports reduced anxiety, greater predictability and more inclusive engagement with the built environment.

In her role as Experience Lead, Goc O’Callaghan’s work is reinforced with a clear position: experience is not an addition to design, but its outcome. As the discipline of sensory mapping evolves, there is significant potential for it to become embedded within wider placemaking strategies, digital wayfinding systems and cultural and commercial environments. Experience design should be integrated from the very beginning, and not added at the end as an after thought.

Ultimately, this work signals a shift in how success is defined within design. It moves the conversation away from how places look, towards how they feel, and who they work for.

The report is now publicly available via the Buro Happold website, marking a significant milestone for the project and its wider impact.

A full list of contributors include:

Contributors: Madeleine Granland (Inclusive Environments), Rebecca Adda (Inclusive Environments), Alex Matthams (Inclusive Environments), Jean Hewitt (Inclusive Environments), Toar Sadia (Inclusive Environments), Goc O’Callaghan (Experience lead), Leo Fernandez Rodriguez (Acoustics), Frank Reder (Acoustics), Myrto SkretaKrikou (Lighting), Anna Ifanti (Specialist Integrator).