As the global population ages, the need for environments that support cognitive function is becoming as critical as physical accessibility. Assistant Professor Nadim Adi, PhD, of Texas State University’s Department of Interior Design, is addressing this gap through his research, a pioneering university course, and the development of NuroNest, an early-stage AI platform designed to identify environmental risks in everyday interiors.
NuroNest analyzes images of interior spaces and flags features that may affect people living with dementia or aging-related cognitive changes. These include low contrast between furniture and floors, unclear pathways, visual clutter, and weak wayfinding cues. The tool is intended to support—not replace—designers, healthcare professionals, occupational therapists, and caregivers.
“If we design for physical accessibility, why should we not also design for cognitive accessibility?” Adi said. “Homes, clinics, senior living communities, and public spaces can unintentionally create risk when they are visually confusing, poorly lit, or hard to navigate. The built environment itself can—and should—be part of the care equation.”
The development of NuroNest is grounded in more than a decade of research in dementia-supportive design and environmental psychology. While still in its early stages, the long-term vision is to make dementia-supportive design more accessible to families, caregivers, and organizations that sense a space “doesn’t feel right” but lack ready access to a specialist.
Adi’s research and teaching underpin the product vision. With Dr. Mais Aljunaidy, assistant professor of psychology at Texas State, he co-authored An Introduction to Architectural Psychopathology, a textbook focusing on how interior design can support people with mental disorders, including dementia. The pair also developed Texas State’s interdisciplinary architectural psychopathology course, offered beginning fall 2025, which trains students to design spaces that support individuals with autism, dementia, depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. The course has been covered by Texas State News, Texas Public Radio, and Community Impact.
Adi’s peer-reviewed work includes a systematic study of architecture and mental disorders in HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, research on using virtual reality to assess elderly and dementia-friendly hospital design, and writing on artificial intelligence and mental disorder art therapy. He has also spoken publicly on aging-ready environments, including a TEDx Texas State University talk on preparing buildings for an aging population, and hosts conversations on design and mental health through Mental Design Labs.
The implications of this work are significant. As more families confront dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the physical environment is often overlooked as a component of care. Poor lighting, confusing layouts, and clutter can increase stress and safety risks, while well-designed spaces can promote dignity and independence. NuroNest aims to democratize access to dementia-supportive design expertise, potentially helping countless families and care providers improve quality of life.
Adi and his team are actively seeking research collaborators, pilot partners, and organizations—including community groups, senior living providers, healthcare organizations, dementia care advocates, researchers, designers, and technology partners—interested in validating and advancing the technology. For those interested in learning more, Adi’s faculty profile can be found at https://faculty.txst.edu/profile/2380789.
