Educational architecture : the role of architecture in child development

Abstract

The first years of a child's developmental process are among the most influential in determining the paths that he or she as an individual will follow. Such development will be affected by the personal, social and environmental factors that the child encounters. Based on the premise of the environment as the child's third teacher, we can attempt to take an approach to design that takes on a commitment towards nurturing those characteristics that will nourish and inspire the child towards developing into an autonomous, self-confident, pro-active individual. Now that contemporary pedagogy is moving away from a rigid institutionalised model to a more broad-minded one, focusing on creative learning and a self-directed method of learning-by-doing, there is an emerging need for the appropriate physical framework that will enable this to happen. While it is evident that architecture will affect a human being in his physical, mental and social endeavours, the impact on a young child will be even greater. Considering that until now most childcare and early years facilities used in Malta are adapted from existing premises, what approach should the designer take when embarking on such a project from scratch? What this research aims to achieve is to bring the fields of architecture, education and psychology· closer together in order to create an environment suited to the child's needs.