Landlords and developers are growing familiar with the idea that the workplace must be inclusive. That means finding space for the young and the old, for extroverts and introverts, women and men and for people with disabilities. But few have got to grips with the idea of the dementia-friendly workspace.

Now one of the UK's leading dementia charities is putting long-standing advice into practise by creating their own dementia-friendly office.

Overbury has been selected to deliver the new 7K SF Birmingham office for the Alzheimer's Society. The office in Edgbaston will include specially selected colours and furnishings that are dementia friendly.

Design features to facilitate neurodiversity in the workplace include the use of paint colours chosen from a palette specifically for people affected by dementia, and furniture selected for comfort and accessibility. Patterns for carpets and fabrics within the office have been specially selected to be dementia friendly. Overbury will create social spaces to welcome visitors, whilst central focal points within the office space will allow service users to navigate easily.

Overbury’s design has been influenced by people affected by dementia, as well as academics from the University of Stirling, who were consulted as part of specially convened focus groups. The office space will be used to deliver the Alzheimer’s Society’s new service, called Dementia Connect, which provides a first point of contact for people affected by dementia and their families. Work has started on the new facility and it is expected to be completed by late July.