Abraçá: centro terapêutico para crianças com autismo: anteprojeto para a cidade de Riachuelo/RN

Abstract

This Final Undergraduate Project aims to develop an architectural preliminary design for a Therapeutic Center for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), entitled ABRAÇÁ, located in the city of Riachuelo, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The proposal emerged from the need to create spaces that address the sensory, cognitive, and social specificities of children with ASD, providing inclusion, comfort, and stimulation. The study is based on the principles of neuroarchitecture, universal accessibility, and environmental comfort, seeking to understand how the built environment can contribute to the well-being and development of children through appropriate sensory stimuli and humanized spatial organization. The adopted methodology included bibliographic and documentary research, analysis of legal and environmental constraints, a technical visit to the Association of Parents and Friends of People with Autism of Rio Grande do Norte (APAARN), and the study of direct and indirect architectural references related to therapeutic and rehabilitation spaces. These stages supported the creation of the program of needs and the development of the architectural proposal, structured in interconnected blocks organized around a central atrium that enhances cross ventilation and natural lighting. The project was conceived to integrate functionality, comfort, and sensory balance, using materials, colors, and textures that promote safety, harmony, and well-being. The spaces were organized to ensure accessibility, fluid circulation, and coherence among the sectors of reception, therapeutic care, support, and recreation. As a result, the proposal presents a humanized and inclusive environment capable of strengthening the relationship between users and space, reaffirming the role of architecture as an instrument of social transformation and therapeutic support.

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Therapeutic Architecture; Neuroarchitecture; Accessibility; Inclusion.