Studies show that many autistic adults are less likely to live independently regardless of their abilities. This paper summarizes insights into the role of the built environment in the independent living of autistic people. Existing architectural research concerning autism has focused predominantly on the built environment. By contrast, our research focuses on autistics’ lived experience. The role of the built environment in autistic people’s independent living plays at different scales: from a location over the spatial organization to interior finishing and detailing. Additionally, the built environment’s design can facilitate or hamper independent living in various ways, not only through sensory qualities but also through what it affords and what it means.
