🗓 Wednesday 1st October 2025
🕙 10:00–13:00 BST | 📍 Online (Microsoft Teams) | 🎟 Free to attend
Healing supported by design, guided by clinical wisdom and genuine co-production.
A deep dive into the Brook
Join us to explore the story of The Brook – an inpatient unit shaped by sensory-informed design. Built to meet the needs of autistic people and individuals with a learning disability who benefit from specialist mental health care, The Brook demonstrates how a considered, sensory-informed environment can make a difference.
This October, the Design in Mental Health Network is platforming good design to help ensure we can spread good practice and support more evidence led design, so we are delighted to be partner with NHS South West and Devon Partnership Trust to showcase the team behind The Brook in a live webinar that explores what sensory-informed design looks like in practice, and why it matters for patients and staff.
Why The Brook Matters
In many health settings, sensory needs are still overlooked. Too often, environments are overstimulating, institutional, or simply unsuitable for their intended purpose. However, The Brook shows a different way forward; a setting where lighting, acoustics, materials, and colour aren’t just aesthetic decisions, but ones driven by therapeutic considerations for the well-being of both patients and staff.
Rooted in co-production and therapeutic design, The Brook demonstrates that it is possible to align operational priorities with dignity, safety, and sensory needs, and to do so collaboratively.
“Feeling safe is a fundamental part of recovery,”
says Liz Lavender, Expert by Experience and Co-Founder of The Environmental Hub, who worked on The Brook.
What You’ll Learn
- In this 3-hour session, the project team will share how they approached:
- Responding to sensory needs through materials, lighting and finishes
- Balancing safety with autonomy and comfort
- Aligning design choices with infection control and operational considerations
- Designing for therapeutic impact and staff wellbeing
- Designing layouts that support orientation,
- Improving sound insulation to minimise distress and fatigue.
Whether you work in estates, facilities, clinical services, or commissioning, this session will offer practical tools and design inspiration to take back into your environment.
“We want people to walk away with something tangible. This session is about practical, implementable change that improves outcomes. Whether it’s rethinking how colour and lighting reduce overstimulation, designing layouts that support orientation, or improving sound insulation to minimise distress and fatigue. We are sharing real examples of environments designed to improve therapeutic outcomes for the people who live and work in them.”
says Charlotte Burrows, CEO of DiMHN.
Meet the Speakers
This session brings together part of the multidisciplinary team that co-designed The Brook:
Liz Lavender
Expert by Experience | Sensory-Informed Interior Designer | Co-Founder of The Environmental Hub, with NHS South West.
Combining her interior design background and personal experience as a parent navigating mental health services, Liz helps shape environments that are safe, calming and inclusive. Her work on The Environmental Hub (NHS England South West) provides practical guidance on therapeutic interiors.
Graham Carr
Assistant Director of Nursing (Interim) | Head of Programme, NHS England SW
Graham brings strategic leadership in delivering compassionate, person-centred care for people with learning disabilities, autism and ADHD across the South West.
Steve Coombe
Creative Director, 3idog Interior Design
Steve led the interior design vision for The Brook, from colour palettes and textures to lighting and layout, with a focus on healing through aesthetics and sensory comfort.
Anita White
Project Architect, Grainge Architects Ltd
Anita is passionate about empathetic design that meets the complex needs of both patients and ward staff, creating safe and therapeutic spaces to support recovery through careful attention to detail and rigorous coordination of the design.
Rosemary Jenssen
Director, Jenssen Architecture | Co-author of Mental Health Design Health Building Notes
Rosemary is a nationally recognised leader in mental healthcare design and engagement, and has participated in numerous events sharing Global best practices. Rosemary practices as an Independent Healthcare Design Consultant and for the Brook was appointed by Kier under ProCure 23. Supporting an analytical, evidence-based design approach, focusing on improving health outcomes through co-production
Our session will be chaired by Charlotte Burrows, CEO, Design in Mental Health Network.
Charlotte is a purpose-driven leader dedicated to transforming mental health outcomes through design, innovation, and collaboration. She champions human-centred, evidence-based approaches which seek to improve the status quo.
About The Brook
Built to meet the needs of autistic people and individuals with a learning disability who benefit from specialist mental health care.
- Calming, adaptable interiors inspired by nature
- Carefully planned spatial transitions to reduce stress
- Private courtyards and social zones that encourage connection
- Furnishings, dimmable lighting, sound absorption and minimal visual clutter
- Life skills, kitchens and activity areas that support daily living and reintegration
- Design and infection control, working together to overcome challenges
Why Attend the Webinar?
If you’re involved in shaping mental health spaces, whether you commission services, design buildings, improve existing environments, lead clinical teams or have lived experience, this event will leave you with ideas, inspiration, and real-world examples to apply in your work.
‘Environments are never neutral’ says Liz.
‘Sensory-informed design is not about spending more, but about choosing differently. When lived, clinical and design expertise come together, we can create environments that foster dignity, safety and wellbeing for both patients and staff. Good design supports access to healthcare.”
How to Register
The event is free to attend and will take place via Microsoft Teams.
After registering, you’ll receive joining instructions and an agenda ahead of the day.
Let’s keep raising the standard. Let’s keep designing with people in mind.
Property images courtesy of Grainge Architects.
