Room 600 in the Faubourg Tower at Concordia University – Montreal

“I particularly remember visiting Room 600 in the Faubourgs tower at Concordia University in Montreal. Usually used for continuing education, this room was being used that day for a presentation of the results of a survey on the housing needs of people with autism. Several people with autism were present at the event.

Upon entering there was a changing room for personal belongings, and then immediately there was a small room dedicated to soothing and sensory stimulation. So it was reassuring to know that there was already a space for this. The large room was divided by dividers that allowed one to see and hear what was happening on the other side. These dividers were able to determine functions for the different areas of the room (classroom type area for presentation, area for the food and beverage buffet, and registration/hospitality area), and at the same time offer a gradient of socialization. That is, a person could move away from the presentation area (where there are many people and stimuli) and be in a quieter area while still being able to hear and see the presentation. The further one moved away from the presentation area, the closer one got to the quiet room, thus offering several degrees of participation in the event.

The room also offered different seating options, and different layout options. Although it was adapted for this specific event, it was easy to see the possibilities of rearranging it for other types of activities, whether it was through partitions, furniture, and lighting. Throughout the event, the autistic and non-autistic guests circulated, moved around, and used the different modalities of the room at their convenience, without causing any disruption to the other participants. It was therefore easy to socialize in their own way.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.69).

Google map link: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Faubourg+Tower/@45.4949617,-73.5783606,18.25z/data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x4cc91be1c9066443:0xb3f21c580837a8ec!4b1!8m2!3d45.494724!4d-73.5779688!16s%2Fg%2F11h04_nbt8