Wood Snoezelen: a prototype of an untreated wood multi-sensory room for the care and inclusion of students with disabilities at “G. Marconi” primary school in Lozzo Atestino, Padua, Italy

This paper presents the results of a research project aimed at designing an environment made of untreated prefabricated wooden components, called Wood Snoezelen, thought to facilitate multisensory stimulation for people with intellectual disabilities. Numerous scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of multisensory stimulation generated within a Snoezelen room, both for elderly people (dementia and Alzheimer’s disease) and for children and adolescents with various types of disabilities (autism spectrum disorder, ADHD). The rehabilitative and multisensory effects of the Snoezelen approach is enhanced by the use of untreated wood, which, thanks to its properties, can produce beneficial effects in terms of health, comfort, and cognitive and psychological well-being. The project led to the definition of a fully modular wooden kit integrated with multisensory equipment and to the construction of the first Wood Snoezelen prototype at “G. Marconi” Primary School in Lozzo Atestino (Padua, Italy), inaugurated on February 28th 2025.