Transcript Daycare and Preschool Design

Daycare and Preschool Design
By:
Heba Arif
Sumaiya Mansoor
Hannah Al-Zaaim
Marwah Balhaddad
Child Development
 Why do we as designers have to learn about child
development?
 Studies conducted on children
Overview of Stages
 Infancy is considered to be the
second stage after prenatal.
 Infancy is between birth and
one year.
 Toddlerhood is age 1-3.
 Preschool ages 3-6.
Considerations
 These initial stages are important because in this time we
see significant biological and neurological growth.
 It is important for designers to understand the
development of youth in order to maximize the child's
development with static environments such as schools,
playgrounds and public places.
 The cognitive development are defined as:
 An infants perceptual ability is limited to visual distinction
between light and dark and the perception of motion. The
sight develops at various stages, designers need to
enhance visual complexity at each stage.
Considerations Continued:
 Infants have difficulty retrieving information
 The associate crying with being held.
 Designers need to think critically for a stimulus to appear
fresh
 The use of color
 Gender Defining
 Patterns
Considerations Continued:
 Stimulate hearing
 Child when moving
 Touch
 Taste and Smell
 Safety First
 Storage
Toddlerhood & Preschool Years
 Children 1-5 years of age
 Confirming to gender stereotype
 Always consult parents
 Designers should consider
Playrooms & Play Areas
 Motor Skills
 Attention Span
 Table cover
 Padded balance beams
Modes Of Learning
1. Visual Learners
2. Auditory learners
3. Kinesthetic Learners
Learning
Activity
Reading and
Hearing Words
Modality
Auditory
Looking at
pictures or
watching a
demonstration
or movie
Visual
Participation
in a discussion
Kinesthetic
Implication for Design
1. Use semicircular setting arrangements, and include
features that facilitate small group discussions.
2. Ensure noise Control from distracting exterior
noises.
1. Ensure noise control from distracting exterior
noises with proper classroom acoustics.
2.Provide multi-media, posters, paintings etc, of
significance and visual penetration.
3.Use natural day light as fluorescent lights are
distracting.
3.Refrain from using drab wall colors
1.Provide alternative flexible seating: extra floor
padding in a ‘group’ area, window seats, wide steps
to a small stage in the classroom
CHILD CARE CENTERS AND
PRESCHOOLS SETTINGS.
 Settings can be found in private residences, work places, campuses etc.
 Settings vary significantly according to financial resources as do size and social
density.
 Settings should contain safe small spaces in which children can seclude
themselves if required as children value such intimate environments because they
fulfill need for both privacy and exploration.
 Open play areas within preschools and child care settings allow caregivers to
maintain supervision no matter how close or far the child is.
 Designer should incorporate a variety of smaller spaces within open
environments. These smaller spaces o not require fixed walls.
 Eg: kids can be quite content under a box or in a tent.
 Spaces can also be separated visually by lowered or differentiated ceiling heights
and contrasting wall colors and texture, use paint, fabric or nettings on walls to
differentiate spaces.
FACILITY
 The first image will be the exterior of the building, the creative use of landscaping
and playful caricatures incorporated into the side walks and entry ways
 Children often perceive the world larger than what adults do and, as such,
something appearing large can be foreboding to a child.
 Designers will also want to use shorter wall ways and find creative ways to break up
long corridors.
 Other techniques used for creating and illusion that a building is smaller than it
actually is are to use fewer but larger residential style windows, along with planting
larger trees and bushes adjacent to the building
 By visually breaking up the building’s façade with these simple techniques , it can be
seen only in segments, therefore, reducing the perceived size of the building.
 The entrance ways and thresholds into the classroom setting should be similar in
scale to those found in residential environment.
 The space should be familiar, friendly and inviting.
 The doors to each of the class room should be in different shape and color.
FACILITY
 Careful considerations must be given to the purpose and location of the
different spaces. For eg. When space planning, consider areas of
sleeping away from areas of eating.
 The ideal rest areas is on the northern side of the building where it is
darker and cooler.
 For spaces involving activities involving high energy should be placed on
the southern side of the building where it tends to be brighter and
warmer.
CLASSROOM CONFIGURATION
 Rectangular rooms are more teacher-centered, unified, structured and
typically preferred in classrooms requiring time structured and focused
learning.
 Ceiling that is higher in front of the classroom and gradually slopes
down to the back will not only reduce the teacher’s distraction but also
decrease the feeling of crowding.
 The walls in the classroom should accomplish one of the three
functions.
 The acquisition of knowledge
 The maintenance of learned knowledge
 An announcement and celebration(dynamic wall)
CLASSROOM CONFIGURATION
 Comfortable furniture should be used
 Musculoskeletal fatigue and pain can
cause student to focus more on
easing their discomfort than on the
subjects they are learning because
the human brain is configured to
satisfy physiological needs before
cognitive needs
 For instance, chair’s height should not
exceed the popliteal height of the
child.
How dose the learning environments impacts students and
teachers behavior??
 - Desirable designs include having 'friendly and agreeable' entrance
areas, supervised private places for students, as well as public spaces
that foster a sense of community, with particular attention to the color
used). Today's schools must create spaces that students want to go to,
similar to the way cafes attract people, rather than the space being
purely functional.
- Significant improvements in the learning environment were
attributed to the better attitudes to teaching and learning the
improvements in the physical environment created amongst all users.
Factors Effecting the Educational Environment:
The School Built Environment
Physical environment in the classroom
Products and Services
Communication
The School built
environment
 There is strong,
consistent evidence for
the effect of basic
physical variables (air
quality, temperature,
noise) on learning.
 Other physical
characteristics affect
student perceptions and
behavior, but it is
difficult to draw definite,
general conclusions.
 Lighting and color.
Physical environment in the classroom
 Student comfort, particularly in
terms of furniture should be taken
into consideration because it has
been translated into actual school
environments.
 Since different room arrangements
serve different purposes, it is
necessary for classrooms to have
some degree of flexibility.
 Some improvements to environment
may save time, which is then
available for learning.
 ‘Ownership’ of space and equipment
by both teachers and students is
important to improve achievement..
What do we need to keep in mind as designers?
 Different users have different
perceptions and needs, which
often differ from the architect’s
perspective
 Genuine involvement of users
empowers individuals, produces
greater satisfaction and should
improve the design.
 – Teachers’ attitudes and
behavior are vitally important to
the use made of space.
 – Staff morale is a crucial aspect
of the learning environment.
Thing to keep in mind
for creating a good
educational
environment?
A. Preventing Noise:
 A major effect of noise
in the classroom is the
reduction of speech
intelligibility, and
 The hearing and
understanding of
speech by children of
different ages in various
noise
 And acoustic conditions
is a related important
research field.
Thing to keep in mind
for creating a good
educational
environment?
B. Adjustment of Lighting:
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Poor lighting can negatively
affect the general atmosphere
of the classroom. Lighting that
is either too bright or too dim
can strain the eyes.
Pools of light for specific
activity areas can be created
using pendant lights and track
lights. Add indirect lighting
using recessed lights or wall
sconces.
Dimmer switches allow the
lighting to be adjusted
according to the brightness
needed at different times of
day and in support of varying
activities.
Thing to keep in mind
for creating a good
educational
environment?
C. The Right Color choice:
 The choice of classroom colors
plays an important role in creating a
rich and home-like environment.
Bright primary color schemes can
create an environment which feels
over-stimulating to the children as
well as to adults.
 A neutral colored background, such
as ivory/eggshell-colored walls, and
furniture made out of natural wood
will provide a calming atmosphere
in the classroom. Colorful toys,
materials, and pictures on the wall
stand out on a warm, neutral
background, helping children to
focus and visually to discriminate
the object from the background.
Thing to keep in mind
for creating a good
educational
environment?
D-Temperature and air quality:

Children’s overall performance
decreases due to sickness or
absence from school. Buildingassociated health effects can
increase student or teacher
absences from school and degrade
the performance of children or
teachers while in school. Respiratory
health effects, such as respiratory
infections and asthma, are the
illnesses most closely associated
with increased absenteeism. In fact,
asthma-related illness is one of the
leading causes of school
absenteeism, accounting for over 14
million missed school days per year.
In summery :
 A developmentally designed environment supports children's
individual and social development. It encourages exploration,
focused play, and cooperation.
 It provides choices for children and supports self-directed
learning. A developmentally designed environment also supports
the caregiver-child relationship.
 It minimizes management and custodial activities, allowing
caregivers more time for interaction, observation, and facilitation
of children's development.
Inclusive design principles
 Access: an accessible environment helps children with SEN and
disabilities take part in school activities alongside their peers
 Space: more space may be needed – for children using mobility
aids, for instance, for more small group and individual work, and
to allow for higher adult: pupil ratios
 Sensory awareness : the environment can have a significant
impact on
 access.
 Enhancing learning : a well designed environment enhances a
child’s educational experience.
 Flexibility and adaptability :schools must be flexible for everyday
use and adaptable over time to meet fluctuating needs.
 _Health and well-being : school life needs to be considered from
the child’s perspective
 Safety and security : all children should feel safe and secure,
supported in their progress to independence.
 Sustainability : high quality sustainable design is crucial. It can
affect social cohesion, ensure value for money and minimize the
environmental impact of a school development.
Case Study: Pistorius
School
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Location: Herbrechtingen
Country: Germany
Year of Completion: 2005
Client: Landratsamt
Heidenheim
Architect: Behnisch Arkitekten
Size: 4,450m2
Pupils: 100
Construction Sum: M [US
2005]
Overview
 Pistorius School is a deceptively simple building with a clear spatial
organization.
 The quality of the internal finishes and use of natural light make the building
feel uncluttered and calm, which is fundamentally important when
accommodating students that have a range of physical and mental
disabilities, within an age range of 6-16.
 A series of timber-framed pavilions are arranged around an open landscaped
courtyard.
 The circulation links up a series of social events spaces which classroom
activities can spill out into.
 Differing levels of enclosure and openness through the school create places
that represent different degrees of safety and exposure for pupils.
 This provides opportunities for students to push their own boundaries whilst
always being able to return to their comfort zones.
Themes
1- Integrated environmental
design
 A large flat roofs cape is
ameliorated by a bed of
pebbles being placed on top.
 This approach reduces the heat
gain within the internal spaces
and provides the opportunity
for biodiversity to inhabit this
space. In addition the large
overhanging eaves provide
sun-shading around the
building.
 The laminated timber frame
structure of the building has a
low-embodied energy, and can
be recycled or even re-used
after the building's lifetime.
2- Integrated flexibility for
space and learning
 The timber frame structure
provides a flexible interior space
with the majority of interior walls
able to be repositioned without
any structural implications.
 There is a strong visual and
physical connection between
inside and outside of the school
building.
 Most external walls have a
proportion of glazing and where
ever you are within the building
there are always views out.
 The central courtyard plays an
important role in the students'
education and is considered an
extension of the classroom.
3- Innovative solutions to
specific areas or smaller
spaces
 Circulation space is key to
the use of building,
providing events along a
meandering route.
 At all times, there is natural
light or views out to the
courtyard. A good example
of this is the entrance to
the school, which opens
directly onto the assembly
hall that opens onto the
courtyard.
 Doors are kept to a
minimum, allowing spaces
to flow into one another.
4-New pedagogies and
blended learning styles
 Two 'learning kitchen'
areas provide focal
points for food
preparation by students
for their peers.
 This provides a great
learning environment,
helping students
develop practical life
skills and building social
awareness.
Parts Done As Follows
• Heba Arif – Slides 1to8
• Sumaiya Mansoor –
Slides 9to14
• Hannah Al-Zaaim –
Slides 15• to25
• Marwah Balhaddad –
Slides 26to33
References
 http://www.imagineschooldesign.org/detail.html?&tx_ttnews%5Bswords%5D=pi
storius&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=196&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=5&cHash
=e8ca8df03d
 http://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/designing-disabled-children-sen.htm
 Environment Psychology of Design – Dak Kopec
 Effect of Education Buildings’ Spatial Quality on Child’s Academic Achievement.
By: Selda AL, Research Assistant, Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of
Architecture, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey
 THE ETHICAL DILEMMA OF LIFESTYLE CHANGE: DESIGNING FOR SUSTAINABLE
SCHOOLS AND SUSTAINABLE CITIZENSHIP. BY:ANDREA WHEELER, UNIVERSITY
OF NOTTINGHAM
 The Impact of School Environments: A literature review. Produced for the Design
Council by Steve Higgins, Elaine Hall, Kate Wall, Pam Woolner, Caroline
McCaughey. The Centre for Learning and Teaching School of Education,
Communication and Language Science. University of Newcastle